On Hire
by Lena aka czmadzia
Summary: On Amoi pets' life means nothing. They are no more than a commodity which you can create... or kill if it pays. Raoul x Katze, Iason x Riki.
1. Chapter 1

(Language corrections by Shayne and Phaedra7veils.)

**Prologue **

Iason rounded the pool table and bent over it when he spotted his goal. It took him a moment to aim, but the strike was perfect. The ball rolled, hitting another in its path, changed course on impact, and fell straight into the pocket. Just like the one before. Raoul swayed wearily, leaning against his cue while his competitor strolled over to another ball and delivered another faultless strike. Raoul sighed. Maybe they could play chess? At least in chess the score was more or less equal.

"So now you've decided to put that mongrel of yours to work in the black market."

The moment he said that, Raoul wondered what kind of masochist he was to bring the subject up again. Lately his meetings with Iason usually ended in an argument and Raoul had the dubious honor of being the one who provoked it. But then, Iason's whims concerning his 'beloved' pet definitely demanded comment. And his newest idea – to give Riki a job in the black market – was maybe the most absurd. And the most destructive. Raoul just couldn't leave it like that.

Iason didn't even move from over the table. He looked up at Raoul bent as he was, his gaze exasperated.

"Not again, Raoul."

But Raoul had already pushed himself into the trap of consequence.

"Listen to me, Iason, just once," he spoke, while his fellow Blondie straightened and gracefully moved to the next ball. "You're taking it too far. You took a mongrel pet, you made him your special. You've granted him more freedom than any other pet in Eos has. You gave him his own apartment. Now you're giving him a job! What next, Iason? Face it, what you're doing is ridiculous."

Yeah, keep talking Raoul, he'll listen to you. Just as he always does. Iason apparently shared his thoughts.

"You are boring, Raoul, you know that?"

Raoul opened his mouth, but the loud sound of a strike came first, drowning out his would-be reply. He followed the ball with his eyes as it made an impressive course around the table, finally hitting the pocket and sending two other balls down.

"Don't you understand what kind of position you're putting me in?" he continued. "If you don't change your ways, Jupiter will finally lose her patience. You may be her favorite, but we both know she will order a mind-cleansing if she reckons you need it. And I'm the one who will have to carry out her orders. I am your friend, Iason. I really don't want to do it."

But I will, I won't dare to stand against her. He didn't say it, but it hung, heavy, in the air. Iason straightened and maybe for the first time really looked at him.

"I am sorry, Raoul, but I just can't stop. If Jupiter has a problem with that, so be it. In any case, I'll try to deal with her. And if you call yourself my friend, just try to understand."

But Raoul couldn't understand. What was there to understand, after all? Iason took a mongrel, a crude, filthy, primitive mongrel, and treated him... almost like an equal. It made no sense. Mongrels couldn't equal even ordinary Midas citizens, let alone the highest elite of Tanagura. They were the lowest of the low.

Iason must have seen it on his face, because his own face clouded over.

"And if you can't understand," he added, "just quit that talk and let's play. Or I'm quitting the game."

One look at his friend's darkened gaze was enough for Raoul to know that pushing the matter further would be highly unreasonable. Jupiter's favorite child had put his foot down again. But then, Raoul never really believed he would manage to convince him anyway.

"All right, let's play," he gave in.

Iason nodded, accepting the victory without a word. He seemed as calm as ever when he was leaning over to take aim yet again. But when he stuck, the ball bashed against the edge of the table – just an inch away from the pocket, rolled back and stopped somewhere in the middle. Raoul blinked, surprised. Iason had missed.

Beautiful eyes shifted to him. Beautiful lips formed in a chilly smile.

"Your turn, Raoul."

Raoul didn't know why, but those words gave him shivers.

**Chapter 1**

Raoul was sitting in his office, browsing through brochures and offers from firms. Some of them he rejected just by name, some accepted automatically, trying to spare himself pointless reading. Business – he really hated this part of his work. Every year Tanagura Bioengineering Center put partnership out to tender. Every year the same firms were eventually chosen. Contracts changed a little, new, growing companies were given their chance, but all in all, it was bore.

The new offer submitted by Shisei Kano seemed interesting, however, and Raoul decided to give it a closer look once the files were roughly selected. Kano Enterprises had been the Center's main supplier for a few good years already and Raoul was always pleased with their performance. Acceptance of the offer would tighten the alliance even more and the longer he considered this, the better the idea appeared.

He was already in the middle of the document, when the buzz of a comm unit broke the silence of the room. A little green light on the control panel signaled an internal call. He swiftly pressed the button.

"Raoul Am on line."

"Mr. Am? Solo May, computer department here," said the young Sapphire that appeared on the screen. "We have a little emergency, sir. I thought you should know."

Raoul gave him a slight frown. "What is it?"

The man shifted his position uneasily. "The system has been compromised tonight. We only discovered it a minute ago, while we were running our daily check."

For a moment Raoul sat still, processing the news. How was this possible? He'd been assured that the system was unbreakable. Yes, wasn't that what they always said about expensive systems?

"Are you sure?"

"Unfortunately so, sir."

"Give me more details."

Solo took a deep breath. "Well, it looks like very clever work. The entry left practically no traces. If it weren't for the check, we would have most likely missed it. It seems their main target was the genetic lab – they gained access to its main terminal. We're still checking other departments, but so far no more entries were detected," the youth recited quickly. "As for the things in the hacked terminal – the database is untouched. They left no bugs, no viruses, they apparently weren't trying to cause any damage. No files have been changed or deleted. That's the good news. What isn't so good is that we still can't figure out what data has been copied. As I said, very clever work."

"Wait a minute," Raoul interrupted. "How do we know that anything has been copied at all? Maybe it was just some hacker kid having fun or trying out his skills."

Solo shook his head. "I don't think so, sir. A hacker having fun would most likely leave a mess and a yellow bouncing smiley with a message 'I was here'. He wouldn't have tried to hide his tracks so much. Besides, a non-elite simply wouldn't be able to gain access to our system, and as for the elite – I really can't imagine an elite having fun like this."

Raoul sighed. Solo was right. Elite members were drilled in responsibility and compliance with rules since their early childhood. They would hardly be having fun hacking the system of Tanagura's main bioengineering labs. Not even the youngest ones.

"So, what we are dealing with here is data theft," he guessed.

"That's the only logical motive I can see. We are currently working on the problem. With a little luck we'll come up with some answers soon. Of course we haven't notified anyone from the outside yet. We left that to your decision."

Raoul nodded. "Very well. I'll take care of it. You just keep me informed. I expect an hourly report on the progress of your work. If you find anything, let me know immediately."

With that he disconnected, not waiting for the young man to acknowledge the order. He was sure his words would be followed to the letter.

When the screen faded to black, he leaned back in his armchair and finally let a deep scowl surface. His hand rose to his hair and played with one wavy strand, twirling it around his finger, as his mind drew dark scenarios that could now unfold.

* * *

Two days later.

Iason was gazing at his friend's beautiful face on the screen. The face was calm as always, part of it covered by golden locks, one visible eyebrow bent in a habitual frown. Raoul's usual expression. And yet, the words Iason had just heard were highly surprising.

"Do you think you could arrange for me to meet with Katze?"

Katze? What could Raoul possibly want from Katze? Sure, these two knew each other. Most of the drugs, medical equipment, bionic limbs and organs, even new breeds of pets that Iason delivered to the black market came from Raoul's labs. But it was always handled with Iason's mediation and, apart from that, his friend and his former furniture had little in common.

Iason looked at the other Blondie, intrigued.

"What do you need Katze for?"

A minimal grimace twisted Raoul's shapely lips.

"We've got... a little problem here at the Center. I think Katze could help. But I'd rather not talk about it on line. If you want, we can meet another day. I suppose you should know about it anyway."

Iason watched his friend more seriously. Now he was also a little worried. It wasn't like Raoul to be so guarded around him.

"Katze is coming to my place this evening," he offered. "I have a few—matters to discuss with him. Why don't you drop by? We'll talk about your issue later."

He expected Raoul's usual question at the invitation. 'Will Riki be there?' The biologist always tried to avoid visiting him when the mongrel was staying in Eos. Well, this time he would have to deal with it, if he really cared to meet with Katze quickly.

But the question didn't come. Raoul nodded his head almost immediately.

"All right, I'll be there."

* * *

Images moved behind the thick darkened glass. Streets changed from one to another, welcoming the visitor with cascades of lights and almost the same set of luxurious cars and buildings. Raoul was gazing out of the window without really seeing any of these, as his limousine headed unhurriedly for the center of the central district of Tanagura.

He'd decided to go to Iason straight from work – he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. He felt bad about what he was about to do. He felt... ashamed. The thought that he would have to admit the incompetence of his people in front of Iason, in front of Katze!, was nothing short of demeaning. Katze was a mongrel. It was almost ridiculous, and Raoul would probably laugh if it happened to someone else. The Blondie smirked bleakly at his reflection in the glass. In a way, if Katze failed to fulfill his request, Raoul would even be glad. Of course, it would do no good for his problems.

The car came to a stop, pulling him back to reality. He'd been so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed when he reached his destination. He got out of the limousine. The door slid closed with a little puff and the automatic driver directed the car towards the parking area. Raoul turned and headed for the main entrance of the main tower of Eos.

Iason's furniture, a boy of about sixteen, was already waiting in the hall when the elevator doors opened. He greeted Raoul and took his coat. The big, heavy piece of clothing in the newest elite fashion almost unbalanced the poor kid. The Blondie headed for the main door while the boy was still struggling with the imposing attire. Raoul ignored the furniture's panicked gaze and entered the living room without waiting to be announced.

The head of Tanagura's Syndicate sat with his former furniture at a low, oblong table near the floor-to-ceiling window and the huge door leading to the balcony. Raoul moved in their direction, stealing glances around in search of yet another person. Fortunately Riki was nowhere to be seen. Damn, he should have asked about it, but when he had talked to Iason earlier that day, he'd been too troubled to bother his mind with misbehaving mongrel pets.

When he approached the table, Katze rose from his armchair and bowed a greeting to him. Iason just nodded from his place on the couch.

"Take a seat, Raoul." With a slight move of his chin he pointed to the armchair opposite to him.

Sitting down, Raoul picked up the faint scent of smoke and it gave him an image of Katze hastily putting out a cigarette at his arrival. An ashtray full of cigarette butts sat on the table. And something else next to it, a little paper box. Playing cards?

The furniture, Kyaru – Raoul finally remembered his name – rushed into the room, an embarrassed expression on his face, and stopped by the table.

"Would you like something to drink?" It was Iason who spoke, not the boy.

Raoul quickly made his order, giving it no real thought. Iason ordered the same. Katze just shook his head and thanked. The furniture bent his body in a deep bow and left as silently as he had come.

"So, what seems to be the problem?" Iason asked.

Raoul closed his eyes for a moment, bracing himself for public humiliation. And then, within the next two minutes, he presented them the whole situation. There wasn't much to present, actually. Since the moment Solo May had called him for the first time two days ago, little changed. No – Raoul hated to admit it – nothing changed.

"My experts have worked on this for two days," he finished, "and achieved nothing. What data has been stolen, how much of it... The only thing they managed to figure out for sure is that the terminal in the genetic lab was the only hacked unit in the Center. Whoever they were – those who did it – they were extremely skillful."

He heard quiet steps and paused before continuing. Kyaru placed a tray with their orders on the table and bowed himself away.

"That's how it looks more or less," Raoul concluded while Iason reached for his drink. "We could continue to flounder like this for some time yet. Most likely we would eventually solve the problem. The thing is, we may not have that time. The data they gathered might be crucial. I need answers now."

He finished and fixed his eyes on Iason, waiting for his reaction. Katze was silent too. Tanagura's first Blondie shifted the glass under his nose, inhaling the aroma in an aristocratic manner.

"How do we know that it wasn't just some hacker doing it for fun?" he asked.

Katze shook his head. "I don't think so, Iason. A hacker out for fun wouldn't have been trying to hide his tracks so much. He'd more likely leave a mess and a pink bouncing smiley with some message. 'I wuz 'ere', something like that."

Raoul shot him a glance, remembering the young blue-haired elite just two days ago.

"I thought the smiley was yellow." The words slipped out of his mouth, before he managed to stop them.

Katze's lips twitched in a hint of a smile. "Yellow could do."

Iason blinked at them.

"Besides," Raoul continued, "a non-elite would not be able to break into our system – at least that's what my computer experts claim. And I can't imagine an elite hacking the Center's terminal just for fun."

At that moment a slight movement at the edge of his vision caught his attention. He automatically moved his gaze to that point and tensed, seeing a small figure at the threshold of the balcony.

"Hi, Raoul."

Dammit! How long had Riki been standing there, listening to his revelations? His public humiliation was supposed to be witnessed by two people only – and even that was too many. The thought that the despised mongrel was yet another spectator to his confession sent a wave of heat to Raoul's cheeks.

The black-haired youth was leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, watching Raoul with an insolent expression. Or at least it seemed insolent to Raoul. The Blondie ignored him deliberately and turned his head to Iason, intending to prompt him to reprimand his pet. But Iason was faster.

"Not a word, Raoul."

And strangely Raoul didn't have the willpower to argue with him.

"Go to your room, Riki." This time Iason's voice sounded softer, but at the same time more forceful.

Riki didn't protest either. He pushed away from the frame, gave Raoul another speaking look and marched across the parlor, smiling devilishly. Finally he disappeared down the corridor and the door slid closed behind him. Raoul sighed. Iason sighed too. Katze's hand reached to the pocket on his chest, but stopped in mid-air.

"Do you mind if I smoke, Iason?"

"Go ahead. If Raoul doesn't mind, that is."

Raoul shook his head, mumbling a reluctant permission and the hand happily fished into the pocket.

"In this hacked terminal," Iason took up, while Katze lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply. "Did you have anything concerning the black market there?"

"No. Not really. All those things I keep in my private terminal in my office. It's offline for most of the time. However, if they looked into the lab's databases really closely, if they compared certain data, expenses, amounts, if they knew what to look for, they'd probably be able to figure out that something is not right. But somehow, I doubt that's what they were after."

"But you can't be absolutely certain."

"No, I can't."

Iason snorted.

"Did you call the police?"

Raoul's mouth twisted derisively. "I notified them. An official investigation has to be opened if we want to take legal measures later on, when we find out who did it."

Iason nodded, accepting it silently. Raoul finally reached for his glass as well – more to have something to busy his hands with, than to drink.

"And then I thought, maybe my people can't come up with anything simply because they aren't hackers. They are great computer experts, but they don't know the hacker way of thinking, and they certainly don't know their tricks. Maybe a hacker should be fought with another hacker. Use thief to catch a thief, as they say. That's why I thought of Katze."

Good, he praised himself, that sounded reasonable. Sounded natural and firm. Betrayed nothing of his embarrassment. Out of the corner of his eye he could see that the dealer was watching him, but the handsome face wore no particular expression.

"So, you want Katze to go there and try to find some answers for you," Iason said.

"Yes. If you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind." The soft voice held a slight note of irritation. "I hope it will help to secure our mutual interests."

Raoul looked at the redhead. "What do you say, Katze?"

The dealer crumpled the cig with his fingers somewhat nervously.

"Sure, I'll take a look at that."

* * *

The room was full of people. Elite of every hair color stood in semicircle as though expecting some kind of a show. Behind them a glass wall gave an open view of a giant room – the main genetic lab, or at least that's what Katze was guessing. At the moment, however, he could see neither the group of elite scientists, nor the lab, as he was facing the opposite wall. The wall completely occupied by a huge terminal.

"Our current system, [Alpha] 4800, was installed just a few months ago. Are you familiar with it?" asked a young man sitting in front of the screens. Solo May, Katze remembered his name – they had been introduced to each other just a few minutes earlier in Raoul's office.

"More or less."

Actually it was rather less than more, as systems of the [Alpha] group were only installed in big companies, being much too powerful for private users. Katze had never had a chance to work with any of them. All he knew was some info he had gathered on the net the day before. Not that the Alphas were very different from the systems he usually operated, though.

"We change our configurations every two months. As well as the firewalls. I guess you will have to look into it by yourself. Here is our main database."

Solo proceeded to present the system to him, starting some applications, opening files, and talking all the time. Katze listened to him only partially – more of his attention was drawn to the murmurs he heard from behind. Conspiratorial murmurs. And rather aloof.

"So that's the guy. Russell was right, he's not even an elite."

"Who is he, anyway?"

"I don't exactly know. Just heard his name. Katze."

Katze suppressed the desire to turn around and give the speakers the evil eye. He bit his lip, desperately longing for a smoke. Next to him, Raoul shifted his weight from one foot to another and sighed uncomfortably.

"Katze?" another voice joined the conversation. It seemed agitated. "Isn't that the name of Iason Mink's former furniture?"

"Yes, that's it! That's the name! Katze. The one keen on computers..."

The voice stopped short with a dreadful realization. Katze winced and swore inwardly. Right, _now_ it will start.

"But it would mean that he's a—"

At that moment Raoul loudly cleared his throat.

"Gentlemen, please, stop the whispers."

The reproach worked and the murmurs ceased. Tension however remained, hanging in the air, heavy and unspoken. Raoul gave Katze a short, sidelong glance, but said nothing. For a short while there was only Solo's voice resounding in the silence of the room, but soon the lecture also came to an end.

The Sapphire rose from his chair and offered it to Katze with a slightly nervous gesture.

"Would you please?"

Katze nodded and sat down.

"Do you need any more explanations, Mr... em, Katze?"

Oh yes, Solo also had a problem with him. How to address a mongrel, castrated mongrel, a former furniture, who however came here to help, recommended by the big boss himself. In effect, although the young man seemed quite friendly, he desperately tried not to address Katze at all. Only sometimes he forgot himself...

Katze glanced at the running program.

"No thanks. I think I can handle the rest myself," he sent the man an apologetic smile. "In any case, I'll just call."

He turned to the screen. And then the forced silence suddenly broke.

"But he's a mongrel!" Someone obviously found it necessary to finish the phrase interrupted before. The whisper was loud enough to be heard in the most distant corners of the room. If anyone had missed the earlier conversation, they definitely heard it now. The reaction came immediately.

"What?"

"A mongrel?"

"Yes, that's true."

"But that's ridiculous!"

"Has Raoul gone crazy?"

"Impossible."

"No, he cannot be, he doesn't look like one."

There was more of it, all uttered at once – in the joint noise of voices it was hard to distinguish words.

"But sir, this man is a mongrel," finally someone dared to speak it out loud. The voice was calm and collected, dressed in a completely needless elegance. Katze heard a rustle of clothes behind him as Raoul turned to face the speaker.

"Yes, he is. He is also the most effective hacker I know. And if I am to use the help of a mongrel to solve our problem, I will surely do it. Anyone with a better idea, please tell me."

No one spoke. There was a long moment of silence, then Raoul's clothes rustled again.

"Are you ready to work now, Katze?"

Katze didn't feel quite ready. His hands were trembling. This whole situation got on his nerves a great deal. But well, with that no technical tips and instructions would help.

"Yes. But if you don't mind, I would like to be alone. I prefer to work in silence."

The malice wasn't intended, but when he realized it, he felt a perverse relief. Indignant whispers broke out again. Why, a mongrel was asking them to get out!

"I don't mind at all," Raoul said, and then more loudly, directing his words to the onlookers: "Enough staring, everyone. Please, return to your work."

Katze smirked under his breath, but he doubted anyone noticed it. They were too agitated with their offended pride. He still heard them muttering as they were leaving, and the hum faded only when the door in the glass wall closed behind them. Raoul and Solo moved to another door. The younger man left first, and the Blondie stopped at the threshold, turning to look at Katze over his shoulder. Noticing it out of the corner of his eye, the dealer glanced at him expectantly.

"I'll be in my office at all times," Raoul said. "If you manage to find anything, let me know immediately. If you don't, you can always come back tomorrow – so take your time."

The words were calm and quiet, but uttered in a cold, business-like voice, leaving Katze no doubt that Raoul was in fact no different than the others – held the same biases and distance. He had taken his side only because he believed Katze could be helpful.

But of course Katze had never expected a warm reception in the hotbed of the elite. He gave the Blondie a short professional nod. "Yes, sir."

"Have a productive day, then," Raoul smiled reservedly and disappeared behind the door.

* * *

Raoul suspected that his fascination with Katze started somewhere at that point. At first it was an unexpected comparison with the group of elite. A few simple observations. Katze was tall, very tall as for an ordinary person. Only slightly shorter than most of the people gathered in the terminal room and taller than a few of them. He had a pure hair color. Almost as pure as the Rubies. And finally – he was beautiful.

At first the thought startled Raoul. What was he thinking? A mongrel, and so terribly scarred – beautiful? But then he came to his senses. Of course, Katze was a furniture, it was natural that he was good-looking. Though the man stood out even by furniture standards. And his scar, covered by his hair most of the time, wasn't really an issue. His features were regular, almost as flawless as the features of Academy pets only not so soft. But then, he wasn't a kid anymore.

As many times as Raoul had seen Katze before, he'd never really noticed any of that. But those things alone would never cause any kind of infatuation. Many ordinary people were tall and beautiful, and had a pure hair color. Sometimes (rarely though) it occurred even without the help of genetic engineering. No, it wasn't that.

It was the call Raoul got from Katze late in the evening, a couple of hours after they parted in the lab. The words were short, laconic, uttered without any special emotion.

"Raoul? I think I found it."

* * *

Why is it that the big bosses always have their seats at the top of the building, mused Katze detachedly while the elevator carried him up to the last floor of TBC headquarters. The lift stopped with a quiet beep and the doors opened, presenting him to Raoul's huge office for the second time this day. He found the Blondie standing by the window and staring out of it. He made his way through the spacious room and only at the sound of his steps did Raoul turn to look at him, expression slightly distracted, as though he was just pulled from a reverie.

They were here alone. Well, the hour was late, most of the Center's employees had probably gone home. And tomorrow Raoul would pass the good news himself, avoiding the uncomfortable situation of a mongrel speaking in front of a group of highly-seated elites.

"So tell me," Raoul spoke, approaching the desk.

Katze raised his hand and showed him a disc with the data.

"Here it is," he placed the box neatly next to the computer. "Everything I managed to find out. Everything that there was to find out, I believe."

Raoul narrowed his eyes, reached for the case and opened it. His gaze fell on the inside of the cover – there, on the little case leaflet, written in Katze's somewhat unshapely handwriting, were two lines of text. The Blondie's face pulled into a frown.

"What is it?" his voice suddenly sounded sharp.

"Two most important things. The path to the copied directory. And IP of the terminal it was copied to. All the details you've got on the disc."

Raoul didn't listen to the last sentence. He dropped to his chair and rubbed his temples, a heavy puff escaping his throat. Katze looked at him curiously. So, the news wasn't good.

"Something important?" he asked.

"Yeah." The biologist waved his hand, pointing at the chair across the desk. "Come on, sit down."

Katze took the offered seat. He studied the Blondie for a moment, uncertain what to say.

"So, what now? Are you going to call the police?" The question wasn't too clever, he knew the answer to it. But staying quiet just didn't feel right.

Raoul looked up at him a bit surprised.

"And what power do the police have, really?" he snorted. Yes, exactly the answer Katze had expected. "They are paid off, they do what they are told by people more powerful than themselves. Like me. Like those who did it, probably. I can call them when I find the guilty party, but not before then. That is my problem, Katze, and I am not going to pass it to some middle-class outsider from the police. Besides, I don't want the police meddling in the Center's business. They might come across something I wouldn't want them to."

"So? You're thinking of running a private investigation?"

Katze wondered if he was too daring asking the Blondie all these questions. Almost as if he was speaking to someone of his own position. But it seemed so natural to ask... He'd become so familiar with Iason's company that he sometimes forgot other elite might demand more fearful regard.

Raoul, however, didn't seem offended.

"Absolutely. I have much better means to pursue this than the police."

Katze didn't doubt that. Raoul straightened his back, returning to his fully imperious demeanor. He once more looked at the leaflet.

"IP of the terminal this data was copied to, you say," his voice was strong and composed again.

Katze nodded. Raoul's eyes shifted smoothly from the disc to him. They studied him for a long moment.

"I must say you surprise me, Katze. My people couldn't even figure which data had been copied and you find not only that, but also where it's been copied to. That's more than I have expected."

Katze felt his brows rise on his forehead. Had Raoul just praised him? The same Raoul who constantly pestered Iason about his improper contacts with mongrels actually praised him? He however managed to keep his usual cool composure and just smiled politely.

"Thanks."

The Blondie leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.

"So what's on the disc?"

"Full report of what I did plus some other details. I thought people from your computer department could use it."

"They surely could. Anything that might interest me?"

"If you like reading techno-babble."

Raoul put the disc away not looking at it.

"And do you know where the terminal with this IP is located? Where physically, I mean? Tanagura? Some other place on Amoi? A colony maybe?"

"Somewhere close, judging by the number. Tanagura or Midas, most likely. But where exactly – I didn't go that deep."

The Blondie's lips curved in a minimal smile.

"But it's possible to check it, isn't it?"

Katze nodded. "Quite easily. Your people won't have any problem with it."

"Ah." Raoul gave him another long look. "But what if I prefer you to do it? I hope you don't mind."

Unknown are the paths of Blondies' thinking, the short thought flashed through Katze's mind and made him smirk inwardly. Raoul wanted the help of a mongrel because no one amongst his own people could help him. And – that one was for sure – only because of that. Now the mongrel wasn't necessary anymore. So why did he want him? In any case, Katze couldn't refuse.

"I don't mind," he muttered.

"Very well. When can I expect the results?"

"Shortly. Tomorrow, maybe the day after. But I'd rather do it from my home terminal."

"Sure, you can do it from wherever you wish." With that, Raoul smiled at him again. And there was something in that smile that unexpectedly worried Katze. This time it wasn't the cold, distant curl of lip the Blondie had given him back in the lab. There was something else in it this time. But Katze couldn't define what it was.

* * *

Raoul was first and foremost a scientist. Not a businessman, not a leader, but a scientist. He was created to be one and Jupiter's plan for him worked perfectly. The prominent trait of a good scientist – the need for answers, for searching and finding – ran strong in Raoul's veins. And that was why he was so struck with his observations about Katze.

Let's consider this, he thought, pacing around his parlor the night after the dealer's visit to the Center. What distinguished the elite from ordinary people was their perfection – body and mind. They had beautiful faces, pure hair color, big and extremely strong bodies. Their intelligence surpassed that of the rest of population by more than 100 points. This set of features was artificially assured with every elite created. However, what Raoul knew better than perhaps anyone on Amoi, and what he considered most fascinating was that this set of features was not impossible to achieve in natural breeding. It was all within the natural human range of variation, except that it was at the far end of the distribution, so that in reality it just didn't occur.

But Katze... in many ways the man resembled an elite. By some incredible stroke of fortune he must have received the pool of genes that gave him this exceptional, elite-like combination of features. If it were one or two of those traits it wouldn't have been that unusual. It happened among Ceres natives now and then. Even Iason's mongrel had a pure hair color and remarkable facial beauty. But so many of them, including intelligence? Not even Midas citizens, whose breeding was almost as controlled as elite's neared such perfection. Raoul seriously doubted that any other specimen like that, not being an elite, graced this world.

This discovery was so fascinating that he trembled with excitement. And just to think how far Katze would have gone if raised like an elite. If he had grown up in luxurious dormitories instead of Ceres' Guardian, if he'd received elite's education. If he wore his hair long, didn't have that scar on his face, dressed better, ate better and didn't smoke like a chimney (which would definitely work wonders for this unhealthy paleness of his). Then he might even be taken for an elite.

And there was something that made these discoveries even more enthralling.

Katze was a mongrel. A mere mongrel without even citizenship. Sure, he was a black market dealer, quite powerful in the underground world, but so what? By law he was still no one and meant nothing. He couldn't even buy a cup of coffee in a normal shop. One might take possession of him and his life and he wouldn't be in a position to do anything about it.

Exactly as Iason had done with his mongrel.

But Iason's mongrel wasn't exceptional and this one here... To own a creature like that. It would be almost like having an elite member in his possession. So unique. So—beautiful. Raoul shivered with excitement again and forced himself to stop pacing. He sat down in the armchair, trying to chase these thoughts away. What was he thinking? He'd always scolded Iason and now... But on the other hand— he looked around his apartment. Lately the silence started to bother him. Pets were annoying, sure, but without them his condo seemed empty and the furniture was just... furniture. And what could stop him after all? Why shouldn't he do what he felt like? He was a Blondie. He could do as he pleased, especially so with someone who wasn't even a citizen. Surely Raoul didn't have in mind any of those carnal things Iason did with Riki. There was no reason to feel guilty. Katze might be a mongrel, but his quality was far better than the quality of many pets from the Academy. Really, could anyone be surprised that Raoul was curious about him? It was natural. It was obvious! There was no reason to refrain from that.

Right.

The thought calmed him a bit and he was finally able to put it aside. He moved his gaze to the pile of papers lying on the table next to his armchair. A printout of contents of the disc Katze had brought him – he decided, after all, to wade through the 'techno-babble', but just as he'd expected, he didn't find anything interesting there. All he really needed were those two lines of text on the case leaflet. And especially the first one worried him a great deal.

The Special Breed – it was the working name for his new genetic project. The project that was in theory finalized, but had yet to be tested. The experiment had already been started, twenty trial fetuses were already growing in their incubators. Still, it was much too early to say anything. And it would be a long time before the testing period ended.

Both he and Iason had big plans for this project. An entirely new breed of pets with original, completely unique features – it was planned as a revolution in the market. Tanaguran to begin with, but they were also considering various export opportunities. Other cities just waited for them, still so unexplored. They expected to seduce them with this new collection. It was supposed to bring them a huge amount of money and therefore was kept a top secret in the Center. Even the sponsors, bound by an oath of secrecy, were given only the most meager and general information.

Now the top secret wasn't a secret anymore. Raoul recalled Iason's highly displeased look when he'd told him the news. Yeah, they had a problem and the solution had to be found fast. Ironically, with this particular difficulty Katze could come in handy as well.

* * *

When Iason entered the lounge, Raoul was already sitting at their usual spot. He was sipping from a tall glass, eyes fixed on the table top. Iason approached him and sat down, greeting him with a nod. There was another glass and a bottle of Iason's favorite Amber Delight on the table. Raoul motioned at it.

"Help yourself, I ordered for you."

Iason thanked him, smiling at his friend's knowledge of his tastes. Good, at least they wouldn't be bothered by overly attentive furniture. He poured some wine into the glass and leaned back into the soft cushioning of the sofa.

"So what is it you wanted to talk about?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

Raoul took a deep breath. There was a moment before he answered.

"What I'm about to say may seem strange to you. Especially since I've always scolded you about Riki."

Iason raised one brow, intrigued. "What is it, Raoul?"

"Katze," the other Blondie said shortly.

"What about Katze?"

"He... interests me. It seems he is very intelligent. He managed to decipher the problem my team of elite experts couldn't even begin to tackle. He is... haven't you ever have a thought that he is almost like one of us?"

Iason studied him, pondering at this. "No, as a matter of fact, I haven't."

Raoul made a little rumbling sound.

"Well, I have. And I was wondering if you could..." he stopped, hesitating again. "Iason, do you think you might hand him over to me?"

"Hand him over?" Iason managed to keep his voice steady and his face straight, but the words seemed ridiculous. "What do you mean?"

Raoul's eyes fell, fixing on the blue drink in his hands. He played with his glass.

"You still consider Katze your property, don't you?"

"Well, I would rather call him—my very close subordinate. Not a property anymore."

"But you didn't cancel his furniture ID, you once told me."

"Only because working for me, he still needs it. I'm still ascribed as a formal owner – because someone has to be, but I have no actual rights to his registration account. He's got most of them. We've changed it this way on my own request."

"I see," Raoul nodded thoughtfully. "But if someone wanted to... appropriate him, just like you appropriated Riki, you would deem it as an infringement of your rights to him, isn't that so? Riki didn't belong to anyone, but Katze, in fact, still does belong to you."

Iason frowned. Raoul's reasoning was becoming more and more interesting, but he decided not to ask questions. For now.

"If you put it that way, then yes," he allowed.

"So, if someone wanted to appropriate him, they would have to ask your permission. They would have to ask you to hand him over to them."

"I guess so. But Raoul, I wouldn't grant that permission. Katze is too valuable for me."

"Yes, I know," Raoul raised his eyes to Iason. The look in them was strangely intense. "But listen to me first. What I'm asking for doesn't concern work. You own him – all of him, but you have no interest in his private life. You make no use of it. So in fact it's like a wasteland in your possession. And I, on the other hand, am not interested in his work. I'm not going to interfere in your mutual business. He can still do what he has always been doing for you, while he belongs to me. And I assure you it won't affect his work in any way. So in fact my request costs you nothing."

For a while Iason silently sipped his wine, studying his friend with now unveiled interest. Raoul fidgeted uneasily under this gaze.

"I'm aware that it may nevertheless seem a serious detriment for you," he added. "I apologize for asking so openly for your property. If you want, I can compensate you for him. I can offer you a pet from one of the Center's newest collections."

Iason ignored it, still staring at the biologist.

"What do you want him for, Raoul?" he asked finally.

Raoul winced inwardly, hearing the expected question. And what was he supposed to say? After he had called Iason to arrange this meeting, he had considered numerous good answers and explanations. Now none of them seemed good enough.

"I'm just interested. I want to... have him."

"And what do you intend to do with him? He's a castrate. Too old for a furniture, for a pet... well, the concept is simply beyond the pale."

"I know, but I can assure you I'll find—a use for him." Raoul was aware that his words sounded ridiculous. Damn, he _was_ ridiculous, but how else was he supposed to get what he wanted? Seeing his friend's skeptical gaze he sighed and decided to support with the facts. "Well, now when this hacker case arose, I think it would be even advisable that he stays close to me. After all, I'm the main involved here, not you."

Iason nodded. All right, so that was a point. The day before, when Raoul had told him about the result of Katze's inquiry, they both agreed that the dealer with his black market connections could prove very helpful further in the investigation. Iason had already ordered him to put aside less important matters and place this one on the top of his list. However...

However it was obvious that it wasn't the point of Raoul's sudden interest in Katze. Private life, he said. Iason cocked his head. His lips quirked in a smile.

"Are you thinking of having sex with him?"

Raoul twitched abruptly. For a moment his face took on an offended expression. Then the anger subsided giving way to some strange resignation. He heaved another sigh.

"I admit, what you told me about sex was quite—tempting."

Iason smiled, remembering their discussions on that topic. There had been quite a few of them. Starting with Raoul asking him what was so special about this 'sex thing' that he couldn't resist it. Then Iason would try to explain. And Raoul would refuse to understand.

"But no," the biologist stated firmly. "I have absolutely no intention of that. I'm still of the firm conviction that sex is highly inappropriate for the elite. Katze... is just a fascinating case. As for his age, I much prefer a man of his years than some immature adolescent. And his castration really doesn't matter for me."

Iason studied him for yet another moment, then he laughed in his light, haughty tone.

"Very well then, Raoul. If you want him, you can have him. Under one condition. I am not giving him to you yet. I am... lending him. Two months, and we'll see if his stay with you really doesn't affect his work. If it doesn't, he's yours for good. Oh, and don't trouble yourself with paying me back. I'm not interested in pets. One is quite enough," he snorted. "Treat it as a gift. I think the fun of watching the two of you together will be enough payment for me."


	2. Chapter 2

(Language corrections by Shayne and Phaedra7veils.)

**Chapter 2**

"What?!?" Katze's eyes flashed with disbelief, shock and something else. Disappointment?

Iason let this cry fade in silence. Repeating himself would be demeaning. It was enough that he put himself to the trouble of coming to this gloomy Midas apartment to pass this news in person. He only came to Katze's place when really necessary, mostly on business, so today's visit was an unlooked-for gesture of respect towards his former furniture.

Katze, sitting on the sofa beside him, was still staring at Iason as if he didn't really understand what he had just heard. But there was no doubt that he understood. Even judging by this reaction.

"Iason, please tell me that you are joking," his voice was a tone lower than usual.

"You know that I'm not joking."

"But that's ridiculous! What do you mean he asked you? What does he need me for? How could he ask anything like that at all?"

At the last question the dealer's voice trailed off. He could, of course he could. In the world they lived in a Blondie could do anything. Only this particular whim was completely unprecedented.

Iason smiled slightly. It was such a classic Iason smile that Katze's heart sank.

"Apparently Raoul feels a certain—interest towards you. That's what he called it. I don't exactly know what he wants, perhaps he himself doesn't know. But unless it interferes with your work for me, I have no objections. I think you should be flattered. After all, Raoul is one of the most powerful people in Tanagura. The fact that he took interest in a mongrel, much too old to become a pet and castrated... You have a chance to experience something new, Katze. Something completely new." Iason's lips curved in his characteristic smile again. "I wish you all the best – that's another reason for my decision."

Katze shuddered. He kept his head low for a moment. Then he looked at Iason and the Blondie saw heavy resentment in his eyes. And betrayal. And ire.

"Why do you think you know what is best for me?" the redhead sneered. "Why do you make such a decision for me? You didn't even try asking my opinion. It's been a long time since I belonged to you, Iason. You can tell your Blondie pal to fuck off."

He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth an instant before a strong hand fell on his cheek. His head was thrown back by the impact, but when he straightened again, Iason's face was unchanged.

"Don't you dare talk like that about a Blondie."

Katze smiled inwardly. Iason had reacted exactly as he'd expected.

"And the question of to whom you belong appears a little different to me. You belong to the one you depend on, the one who rules your life. You know perfectly well that you still belong to me."

Katze didn't try to deny it. He knew. Although by law this ownership had no longer any actual value – Iason couldn't punish him like an owner would punish his property, or dictate the disposition of his person in a typical master-like way – he could still pull his strings and send Katze back to the gutter in one day.

Well, it was Katze who was his most important string, but it was still rather certain Iason would manage to take everything away from him if he wanted.

Still, the prospect of landing back in the gutter wasn't that scary. The worst thing was that Katze would no longer be able to be close to Iason. And a seat at Raoul's feet was definitely closer to Iason than the gutter.

He shivered and remained silent. Iason nodded.

"I'm glad we understand each other. I'll tell Raoul you've given your consent. He'll probably call you later today."

With those words the Blondie got up and headed for the entrance without saying goodbye.

Katze didn't move. He sat, staring at one spot on the floor when the door closed behind his former master. And a quarter later. And half an hour later. His mind replayed only one thought. Iason had given him away. Iason had given him to somebody else!

* * *

Another half an hour passed when he was startled by beeping of a comm unit. He rose and answered the call mechanically. He twitched upon seeing the beautiful face that appeared on the screen.

"Katze, Iason told me that you already know about our decision," the Blondie stated calmly. "In that case I want you to move to my place this evening. Take only the most important things, later on you'll have time to take care of the rest of them."

What certainty in his voice. 'You know about our decision'. Just perfect.

"Raoul," Katze started carefully, unsure if he addressed Raoul properly. Now when... now the Blondie could demand something different. 'Sir Am'... 'Master'. But Raoul didn't seem to have objections. "Raoul, what is this all about? What do you want from me?"

Raoul's face became gloomy. "What I want is none of your concern."

Like hell it isn't, he wanted to say, but stopped himself.

"I'd at least like to know what to expect."

The Blondie was silent for a while, as though he wasn't sure what to answer. He cleared his throat. "Don't trouble yourself with that. What you can expect you will soon find out. You don't have to worry, I won't take away your autonomy."

"Are you sure I'm the one you need?" Katze found it hard to speak. He didn't even know if 'need' was a right word here. "I can offer you the most expensive, most exotic pet from..."

"That's enough," the Blondie interrupted almost angrily. "Don't be ridiculous, Katze."

Right. Katze smirked bitterly behind his blank expression. On reflex he'd tried to sway Raoul with an argument that always worked. Only it worked with everyone else but Raoul. Why would the Blondie want a pet that most likely came from his own collection? And all other pets Katze traded in the black market were of incomparably worse quality than those from the Center.

"Sorry," he muttered, feeling stupid. "It's just that I can't believe that..."

Raoul smirked with odd bitterness. "Then you better believe."

Katze swallowed, gathering himself. He had to try. He'd failed with Iason, but maybe now he would succeed. At the source.

"Raoul, whatever it's going to be, please, consider it once more. I don't want to. I don't want to belong to anyone, I don't want to live somewhere else than where I live. I don't want anyone to force me to change my life."

He carefully watched for Raoul's reaction. As usual – it was almost imperceptible. The biologist's lovely lips just tightened a little.

"Then it's not your lucky day. I am not going to discuss it anymore. You better start packing. See you in the evening. Oh, and Katze, bring your old furniture tag with you."

With those words Raoul disconnected, leaving Katze stunned, frozen in his place, his lips open, speechless.

* * *

The car was sliding evenly along the streets of Tanagura. Katze lowered the window to let the smoke out and scanned a perfectly ordered avenue. The city of the elite. Who here, on Amoi, were almost omnipotent. Who kept other people as property and used them at their own discretion. He'd been building up his position for so many years, he had even started to think that he meant something, that people respected him. And all those illusions had been swept away in just one moment.

Damn it! How did Raoul imagine Katze would continue his work if he deprived him of the main tool of his trade – his terminal? And what did that bastard want in the first place?

He parked the car in front of the side gate to one of Eos skyscrapers. He was used to avoiding main gates, and that's what he did now. He grabbed a little backpack from the passenger seat and got out of the car.

Since his old identification number had never been cancelled, he still had free entry to Eos. It was one of the reasons Iason had left him in the registers. Come to think about it, Katze mused while the elevator climbed to the top floor, I've never stopped being a furniture.

Raoul didn't live in the same building as Iason. Eos consisted of a few main towers whose penthouses were occupied by a few most important Blondies. Raoul occupied one of them. In the penthouse they already knew of his arrival. The security system had notified the household when only Katze put his hand on the scanner in the elevator and picked out the floor of his destination. He was surprised that the computer accepted him at once. He was prepared to have to call and arrange things. Apparently Raoul had already taken care of that. Never doubted that Katze would come – and stay – that son of a bitch.

And when the elevator doors slid open, it was Raoul waiting for him in the hall, not the furniture.

"Here you are," the Blondie spoke nonchalantly, as if welcoming castrated mongrels in his condo was his everyday entertainment. "Follow me. I'll show you to your room."

* * *

"A terminal?" Katze stared perplexed at the huge computer panel on the far wall of the room.

"Why are you so surprised? Isn't that what you need for your work?"

He moved his gaze on the Blondie.

"I promised I wouldn't interfere with your work. I wasn't lying."

"And that's why you brought all that stuff here?"

Raoul shrugged minutely. "What's the big deal?"

True. For a Blondie of his position it was no big deal. No expense. No effort at all.

"You can download your files here. I'm not going to look into them. In any case, you can protect them with a password."

"I would do it anyway," Katze muttered. "I always do it." He narrowed his eyes and focused them on the other man thoughtfully. "What do you want from me, Raoul?"

Raoul answered his look. Suddenly he wrapped his arms around himself and half turned away from Katze.

"I wish I knew." The answer was quiet. The Blondie looked at the dealer over his shoulder, studying the expression of his face. What he found there was anger. "You're mad I took you from under Iason's wings, aren't you?"

Katze opened his mouth, but realized that he didn't know how to answer. He hadn't expected that Raoul would be so straightforward. And that he would hit the point at once.

"You're so attached to him, huh? Maybe you love him," there was mockery, but also bitterness in the Blondie's voice. "But you see, neither you nor I matter to him. He's got that mongrel of his and no matter what you do, you'll always be second best. Is there a point to stick with him like that?"

It sounded strange. It sounded as if Raoul, teasing Katze, teased himself. As if he spilled his own regrets with those words. Katze hated him at the moment. Hated him for what he had said. But most of all – for that he was right.

"So you decided to find comfort in another mongrel," he spat angrily.

Raoul closed the space between them in one step. His face was suddenly inches away from Katze's.

"No," he said. "That's not what I meant." Then he pulled back and added. "Unpack. Supper is in half an hour in the great hall. I'll need you afterwards."

Katze shuddered at the thought of what need that might be. And once again – when the door closed behind the Blondie.

* * *

The evening, as it turned out, was an evening of surprises. First the terminal, now... Katze stared at the chessboard, dumbfounded. Then he moved his gaze on Raoul, sitting in front of him.

"I assume you can play that," the Blondie spoke.

"I haven't played for a long time. And in general I hardly ever played."

"That's all right. You'll remember. I'm glad I don't have to waste time teaching you."

Reo, Raoul's furniture, approached the table, moving silently as a ghost. He started to lay out the dessert dishes, trying to be as imperceptible as possible. Fruits, cake, wine... Katze gazed at it, remembering the delicious supper. The boy put down the last plate, bowed and disappeared. The dealer sighed inwardly. Typical furniture's lot. To be maximally useful while being minimally noticeable.

"Help yourself," Raoul said, arranging white pawns on the chessboard. Katze reached out for the black ones.

"No, thanks, I'm not hungry. Maybe later."

He lost the first game very quickly. Raoul had absolutely no problem beating him. During the second one he slowly started to recall strategy and tricks. The third one took them a whole hour and almost ended with a draw. He won the fourth game. Right, he had white pawns. Right, it was a big effort and he used Raoul's little oversight.

The Blondie smiled seeing his black king disappear from the chessboard. He leaned back on the sofa. He looked contented.

"It's nice to know you can be a worthy competitor for me. Especially that it's only the first day." The smile widened.

Katze stared at him incredulously. Was the Blondie actually glad that he had lost?

"You're surprised?"

"When Iason told me about your... request, it never occurred to me that I'd play chess here."

"Is that so strange? You are intelligent, Katze, much too intelligent for your origins. Maybe even as intelligent as elite members. I always thought Iason was exaggerating boasting of you so much. But then I saw you in action."

"Are you trying to tell me you were entranced by my intellect?" Katze couldn't suppress a little snicker escaping his throat.

"Among other things, yes. I think it's natural. As an elite and an intellectual, I value mental superiority. The thought that a mongrel might be that intelligent is very—interesting for me."

"I thought you would be interested in other things."

"What things?" Raoul's face was perfectly expressionless, but his voice held a hint of a challenge.

"I think you know what I mean."

The Blondie smiled.

"You thought I would want to use some... coital activities with you? Really Katze, you think it's so common among the elite to sleep with lower-bred?"

Katze didn't answer. He didn't know how. Of course, he'd never considered himself the object of sexual interest. Neither of the elite, nor of anyone else. He wouldn't dare to. But with Iason's suggestions about 'possible new experience' what was he supposed to think? Probably dealing with Iason had distorted his perception of the elite world, since he usually didn't remember that most of Jupiter's children would never lower themselves to engage in sex.

Raoul got serious.

"I admit that I am also interested in more... physical things."

Katze frowned. So, he was right after all. Here it goes.

"I am castrated, Raoul. I can't imagine how I can be used. I can't play with myself, you say you don't want to play with me. So what? You want to watch one of your pets fucking the castrate?"

"I don't have pets. Sold them all a couple of months ago."

Katze raised his brows, surprised.

"I got fed up with them."

"In that case I completely don't get it," he muttered.

Raoul didn't answer. He was silent for a few more seconds. Finally: "I want to look at you, Katze. Get undressed."

Katze froze. For a moment he just stared straight into those beautiful green eyes.

"I can assure you there's nothing interesting about my body. You certainly have better things to do than watch castrated mongrels without their clothes."

"Let _me_ judge what is interesting to me and what isn't. Please, do as I said." The Blondie's voice lost nothing of its calmness.

Katze remained still on his place. And what was he supposed to do? Get up and just take his clothes off? Because a Blondie wanted him to? He knew it would be most reasonable. And the easiest. But he just couldn't. He couldn't even imagine himself doing it.

"And what if I refuse?"

"Then, I'm afraid, I'll have to force you."

Katze's jaw contracted.

"You want to use force against someone so intelligent?"

"I would very much like to avoid it, but I will if I have to."

"Well then," he pressed his lips into a crooked smile. "I guess you'll have to do it by yourself, 'cause I can't imagine your furniture forcing me to anything."

Teasing Raoul pleased him. At least that much he could do. He remembered the slender form of the Blondie's furniture. The boy was no more than sixteen and would have had no chance in direct combat against a man like Katze. Raoul's eyes slitted. And then, within a second, he was over Katze, pulling him up and pushing forcefully. For an instant everything blurred in the dealer's vision, then something hard slammed against his back, knocking the air out of his lungs. Only Raoul's perfect face remained over him, slightly frowning, but still calm. And that was maybe the most scary.

"I guess you don't understand your situation yet, Katze," the Blondie purred. "You are here with me now, no matter what you may think of it. Perhaps in your eyes my authority isn't as strong as Iason's, but I don't care. I demand respect. And when I tell you to do something, you do it."

It hurt. Raoul's fingers clasped tightly on his shoulders, pressing him to the wall. Raoul's words putting him firmly in his place, humiliating him. It hurt and it suddenly made him angry.

"Fuck you, Blondie."

The words were faster than he managed to think. So was his hand that suddenly grabbed Raoul's wrist, twisted it and pulled in a well-practiced way. It was just a blink – the Blondie somersaulted in front of his eyes and landed with a heavy thump on the floor. Katze seized the moment and straddled him, pinning the elite's arms to the carpet.

And only then did he have time to panic.

The Blondie stared at him from beneath, the beautiful face pulled into an expression of sheer shock. Aw shit, what had he done?

"I... I'm sorry, Raoul," he stuttered, "I didn't think I would... I'm sorry."

You didn't think at all, you fool. Right, now the Blondie would kill him. And he would have every right to do so. Hell, what had gotten into him to behave like a total idiot? Elites hated having their pride shaken. Especially by someone as low as him.

Shock quickly disappeared from Raoul's face, giving way to a menacing scowl. The biologist's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Know some tricks, do you?"

And the scowl was followed by a wicked curl of lips. It was not quite a smile, it was more like baring teeth, but it was not the fury Katze had expected. It was... almost the same expression he'd seen on the Blondie's face when he won the chess game. Only this time more predatory.

He started to draw back, releasing Raoul from his hold, when suddenly there was a sound of hasty steps coming from the kitchen. His eyes swung in that direction. Reo halted at the threshold, a saucer and a dishcloth in his hands, gaze terrified.

"Master Raoul!"

Raoul growled, and with his peripheral vision Katze noticed that the Blondie's face changed again, this time into the puffed up, demanding-respect face reserved for servants. Which was hard, considering that he was lying on the carpet held down by another man – and a mongrel.

Katze had to admit it – seeing the Blondie's efforts to remain in authority was priceless.

"It's all right, Reo," Raoul said in his masterful voice. "We're just having some... exercise here with Katze. Go back to your work."

For a moment the furniture was still standing there frozen, mouth agape, eyes wide and unblinking, giving his face a somewhat dumb look. Then he bowed uncertainly and retreated into the kitchen.

"Great. You even managed to make me look ridiculous in front of my furniture," the Blondie snorted. He moved his gaze to Katze and eyed him with disfavor. "You find it amusing?"

Katze stirred, suddenly becoming aware that he indeed was grinning. Damn.

"Sorry, didn't mean to—"

He never managed to finish the sentence. The Blondie moved so fast that Katze didn't even have time to register what was happening. It was like an avalanche falling on him, making him a limp, helpless rag doll as the world danced around him. And the very next moment his back was pinned to the floor and Raoul was straddling him, just as he'd been straddling the Blondie a minute ago.

He jerked abruptly once and again, but Raoul held him easily in place.

"Well, how does it feel down there?" the biologist grinned venomously. "Maybe I don't know tricks, but I learn really fast, you know. And the difference between you and me is that you can knock me down, but you can't keep me like that. And I surely can."

However, Raoul admitted it silently, he _had_ to use strength to do it. He _felt_ Katze's effort to break free. He'd never used force against an ordinary person – never had a need to, but he knew usual human strength was hardly noticeable for the elite. So – for a non-elite Katze must have been strong, very strong even. Good. Raoul added it to the list of the dealer's remarkable features with not a little satisfaction. And made a mental note to be careful dealing with Katze in the future. He released the mongrel and got to his feet, keeping an eye on him all the time.

"Get up."

The dealer complied, lifting his body slowly, reluctantly, as if expecting what would come next. Well, he wasn't mistaken. Raoul gave him a haughty look.

"Now. I guess I've proven my point. So, unless you've got any more arguments to use against me, can we please proceed from the point where we were interrupted?"

Nothing. Silence. The amber eyes glowered at him sternly.

"Strip," Raoul ordered.

Katze kept his face expressionless as he slowly started taking his clothes off. He locked his gaze with Raoul's. His movements were sharp, asexual, and the Blondie was sure he made them such on purpose.

Want to show me how very uninteresting you are? Raoul's lips twisted in a wry grin.

The redhead got rid of his pants and hesitated over the last piece of his garments.

"That too," Raoul instructed.

"It's pointless."

He stepped up to the mongrel and reached for his chin, gripping it firmly.

"It's for me to decide," he drawled. "Take it off."

Katze's eyes for a moment changed into narrow slits. He moved back and quickly pushed the white piece of fabric off his hips. He didn't try to cover himself, but his lips tightened, forming an overturned arch and the muscles on his jaw twitched with an expression of stifled fury.

Raoul shifted his gaze over Katze's body slowly. He wasn't disappointed. The dealer was skinny, all right, but he was surprisingly fit with that. The muscles on his arms and stomach were perfectly visible even when he just stood with hands falling loosely by his sides. Raoul liked it. He felt his hand rise to the mongrel's arm and allowed it, fully prepared to fight back in case Katze had some stupid ideas in mind. Katze didn't, he only shuddered when Raoul's fingers brushed his shoulder. His body was hard, tense under the touch.

"You're awfully pale," Raoul commented. It was true. Katze's skin was very fair. Even fairer than Raoul's. "Too much nicotine, caffeine and sleepless nights in front of the screen, I presume."

"That's my problem, don't you think?"

"Not anymore. I'm not going to allow you to wear yourself out like that."

"I thought you said something about not interfering with my work."

"I'm not interfering with your work. I'm taking care of your well-being."

Muscles on Katze's jaw did their short dance again, but whatever the dealer had to say, he kept it to himself. Ostentatiously, Raoul moved his gaze down, to the mongrel's groin. He knew what to expect there, but still wanted to see it.

In case of furniture, castration was more complicated than with animals. Removing their testicles wasn't a solution here as altering their hormonal system could prove fatal for their appearance – and no one wanted that. Thus their testicles weren't removed, they were modified to produce hormones only, but not sperm cells. So technically furniture were still fully males, but sterile.

And they were dismembered – of course, pets had to be perfectly safe with them.

This alternation had yet another effect. Boys after such modification were absolutely unable to reach sexual completion. Also their sexual needs were dulled – which was good, since they didn't suffer from desires that could not be fulfilled.

Raoul had seen quite a few naked furniture in his life. A branch of the Center was responsible for carrying out the modification and he sometimes inspected it. But of course he'd never looked at any of them like that. Never with any kind of interest other than professional. He'd been a bit afraid of his reaction at seeing Katze's mutilation, but when he looked at the mongrel's groin he didn't feel disgusted. On the contrary, he suddenly realized that this obvious evidence of the dealer's imperfection was, in some perverse way... gratifying. It reminded him of his own superiority. Just like...

On reflex, he moved his hand to Katze's face and reached for the strands covering the scarred cheek. The dealer jerked back escaping it, but Raoul grabbed his chin and held it firmly.

"Stay still."

"Please, don't. Leave it alone." For the first time the mongrel's voice was faltering.

"I want to see it."

He released Katze's face and the dealer didn't try to move away anymore. He shut his eyes tightly. Raoul brushed the red veil aside, leaving it behind the ear. He studied the pale cheek carefully. For the first time he could see the scar completely exposed and for longer then a blink. It ran over the line of Katze's jaw, from his chin to his ear. No, it wasn't disgusting. Somehow, Iason had managed to mark the mongrel without making the scar disfiguring. The sight of it gave Raoul the same kind of pleasure he'd felt while looking at Katze's groin. And something else came to his mind, making him smile. Without this scar Katze wouldn't have been the same Katze – the black market boss. He traced his fingers along the rough texture of the flaw. The dealer shuddered.

"All right," Raoul murmured softly, not even knowing to whom those words were directed.

Why the hell was he feeling like this? Why didn't he mind such obvious defects? He had taken a crippled property, asked for it himself, and enjoyed looking at it. Was he so desperate as to settle for a flawed commodity? But no, he could have taken a pet. He didn't want a pet.

Unable to find an answer, Raoul shut down that line of thought quickly.

He let his hand fall to the pale chest as he slowly moved around Katze. His fingers casually brushed the nipple and slid over Katze's arm to his back. Raoul examined the broad, somewhat angular shoulders, narrowing into the thin waist, and shifted his gaze even lower. His hand wanted to move further, to trail down to those lean buttocks, to touch them... but he suppressed the desire. Something wrong was happening in his groin. It suddenly felt very uncomfortable and tight. Damn, it shouldn't be like that.

He abruptly took the hand away and averted his gaze.

"You may dress," his voice was stifled and sharp.

He moved away quickly, sat down on the couch and reached for the glass of wine to cover his agitation. The distance made the tension subside and he allowed himself to look at Katze again, as the mongrel hastily reached down for his clothes.

"Do you have any work for today?" he asked.

"Break into my own computer, transfer all the files here, a few minor matters to attend," the answer was flat, recited with the rigidity of an answering machine.

"How long will it take you?"

"About two hours, I guess. To break in and to take care of the matters. Downloading will probably take the whole night, but I'm not needed for that."

"Did you track our hacker's den?"

Katze's fingers, fumbling with the zipper of his shirt, stopped for a moment as he moved his gaze to Raoul. For the whole evening the Blondie hadn't mentioned a word about the hacker, so the sudden change of subject was surprising.

"I did. But it's not his den. I checked the bearings the computer returned. It's a club in Midas. Called Virtual Ecstasy."

He managed to find out more about the club, but he didn't feel like sharing it with Raoul at the moment. Who would want to chit-chat, having just been forced off their clothes and examined like an animal? But the Blondie didn't seem very much interested.

"Never expected it to be easy," he murmured under his breath.

"It's never easy. No hacker in his right mind would use his home terminal to do a big number."

Raoul smiled. "I suppose I should trust you on that point."

And that was all. The Blondie got up, the glass of wine still in his hand.

"Very well then. You're free to do your work. And in two hours I expect you in my bedroom."

Katze stiffened abruptly, half bent, a sweater in his hands. His fingers clenched convulsively on the thick fabric.

"So much for not fucking the lower-bred."

Raoul bridled irritably. "Who said anything about fucking you?"

Katze watched frozen and completely dumbfounded as the Blondie turned on his heel and headed for his bedroom. The door slid open for him. He stopped at the threshold and looked back, as if he'd just remembered something.

"And bring your tag along. I intend to put it on you."

With that he disappeared behind the door.

* * *

His hand was shaking slightly as he brought the lighter up. He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. At least with a smoke in his mouth and a glow of the screen into his face he felt more at home.

Two hours. It was too little! Fucking Raoul with his fucking whims. Took most of his evening and now also wanted to take his night. Not that the chess game was something unpleasant, Katze had to admit. He'd always liked mind games. If not for the situation, it could have been fun. If not for the situation.

He put his hands on the keyboard and forced his thoughts to focus on work.

Breaking into his terminal was easy. The computer was strictly protected from the outside, but Katze had left himself a gate of entry. One could gain access to his files with little effort – if one knew the gate existed. Nobody knew and Katze was positive nobody would ever find out without his direct admission. It took him some ten minutes to get in – of course, even the gate was properly protected.

He launched an automatic download of his files, starting with his personal folder. He knew a few new orders were waiting there for him. He hadn't had time to attend to them before Iason's disturbing visit. And afterwards he just couldn't focus on anything but his personal hell.

A counter showed eight hours until the download was complete. He hated the idea of copying his files to another terminal, but what could he do? He comforted himself that soon he would be able to delete the copies. Whatever Raoul was up to, he would be bored in a month at the most. He just had to. Soon he would realize that Katze couldn't give him the satisfaction he expected. Because how could Katze satisfy anyone?

He turned in his chair and slid his gaze around his new suite. The room wasn't anything spectacular. It reminded him of his old quarters in Iason's household. Probably that's what it was – a spare room for furniture. Katze winced at the thought. Still, the terminal was one of the most powerful recent models, and that was most important. The rest of the furnishings were austere – a single wardrobe, a little cabinet beside the terminal panel, a few empty shelves on the wall and a narrow bed. Fortunately the room had its own bathroom, which gave Katze a feeling of some privacy. There was an electric kettle on the cabinet. And two metal boxes – for tea and coffee. Funny, and Raoul said something about his bad habits.

He turned back and glanced at the screen. Ah, here it was already. He opened his mail box to see six unattended orders – one of them completely new, only an hour old.

Biting the cigarette filter, he started assigning the tasks. A transport of pets to Laocón. They ordered twenty from the offer Katze had sent them, they accepted the price... very well. He checked the schedule of his men. Han. The guy loved space trips. May him have the pleasure.

Another transport – to Nyccos, a far city on Amoi. A big cargo of illegal computer chips. How about Daryl?

He proceeded for a while like that until he got to the last message. He read it quickly. An order for the Accelerator, quite a big amount of it. The price was reasonable – normally Katze would probably push the client to pay a little more, but he didn't feel like playing games at the moment. The task was easy, it didn't seem to pose any threat. And didn't require leaving the city – the order came from Midas. Katze looked at the name in his registers. Why not? Riki the Dark...

It was two months since Riki quit working in the warehouse. By Iason's order.

Katze remembered that day when – a little bit out of spite, a little bit out of pity – he had told the brat that he should consider himself lucky. That Iason was taking a great risk by keeping him, that his position was already threatened.

Sometimes he wondered if he should hate Riki. The kid had everything Katze ever wanted, and couldn't appreciate it. Why... if Iason placed his feelings properly, Katze would have shown him what it meant to be loved.

He smirked bitterly under his breath. Look at you. Look what you are thinking, even now, when he sold you so easily. And of course Iason would never feel for him – what would he need a mutilated, outdated property for?

But no, Katze didn't hate Riki. Who could hate that kid after all? With that sparkle in him, with his vigor and witty mind. The brat radiated such incredible mongrel charm, Katze could quite well understand why Iason loved him. Because Iason did love Riki. Katze himself couldn't stop liking him.

And... did Riki really hate being with Iason so much? Since that talk with Katze something had changed between those two. The kid was taking his captivity much better. It even seemed that he and Iason started to get along somehow. And Iason... Iason made further concessions to his pet. Like this order to give him more responsible work, to let him run some errands. Safer ones and on the spot, but still.

And so Riki was now really back in the black market. He was doing well. Some people had even started to call him Riki the Dark again.

Katze's thoughts were interrupted by a beep at the door. He walked over to it and pressed the opening button. It was Reo at the threshold. Holding a bundle of creamy-white clothes in his hands.

"Master Raoul ordered me to bring you your pajamas," the boy offered. "He also asked me to remind you that you have your time until midnight."

Looking at Reo's face Katze understood that the lad had no idea what the order implied. And all the better. Last thing he needed was a fifteen year old furniture treating him like a pet.

"Thank you." He took the bundle from the youth's hands.

The boy was gazing curiously at him for yet another moment, as if considering whether to say something – maybe ask some questions... But he didn't, and Katze certainly wasn't going to help him. So he just waited in silence, staring at the boy sternly. Finally the furniture bent his body in a habitual bow and retreated from the threshold.

"Good night, sir."

"Good night."

Katze closed the door with relief and leaned against it. He looked at the garments in his hands. So, at least he knew Raoul didn't want him naked in his bedroom. What good news. He tossed the pajamas onto the bed and returned to the computer.

He spent some time arranging the meetings, sending and forwarding the messages. Until everything was set. And when he looked at the clock on the screen, it was about time to start getting ready. Shit. He reached for another smoke and lit it, nervously browsing downloaded folders. There was still so much he could do. For example send out some offers. Or try to negotiate better prices with some of the dealers. Or... of course none of that was very urgent, but normally he would do it tonight, without waiting for tomorrow. He would work until three or four in the morning, but he would do it. Fuckin' Raoul.

Inhaling the smoke he opened one of the files. Raoul could wait a little. He shouldn't expect Katze to meekly run to him at his whim. But when he looked at the screen and tried to read a chart on it, he got all mixed up. His thoughts were escaping him. Running ahead to the very disturbing near future.

Damn, he was freaking out!

Maybe it was better to go. To go and find out what was waiting for him. The sooner he knew, the better for his strained nerves. With a sharp, quick movement he crushed the just-started cigarette in the ash tray, grabbed the pajamas and headed for the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later found Katze in front of the huge bathroom mirror, staring at his reflection. The pajamas were loose, the cut simple yet graceful – long bottom, and sleeveless, hooded blouse with a zipper opening in front. The fabric was smooth on his skin. So, he had to admit that he liked the look of it on himself. Would like it even better if his skin wasn't so pale against the cloth. He snorted caustically at his own face in the mirror. Great. Raoul would be happy to see him like that.

It was five past midnight when – back in the room – he cast one last glance at the screen. The download was proceeding at its own steadily-slow pace, so he just switched off the monitor and headed for the door. At the last moment he remembered something. He reached into his backpack and took out a thick metal bracelet.

He looked at it for an instant, feeling a strange cramp in his throat. There were a few signs engraved in the metal. His identification number. Yeah, time to become someone's property again, pal.

* * *

The door swooshed open when Katze put his hand on the scanner. He found Raoul sitting in the armchair with a laptop on his lap. The biologist raised his head to meet Katze's gaze.

"Ah, here you are," he welcomed him briskly. "I'm glad you made it on time."

He was even smiling a little and this smile suddenly angered Katze. What did the damn Blondie think? That being nice would lure him? That Katze would smile back? Someone was hurting here and that bastard was oh-so-cheerful.

He moved through the room, instinctively making a comparison with Iason's bedroom. This one seemed... warmer. A little bit old fashioned with its partially wooden furnishings. There was even a cabinet with obsolete paper books, and Katze wondered if the Blondie really made use of them or they were only a decoration.

And of course the middle of the room was occupied by a king-sized bed.

Raoul was already dressed for sleep. Or rather undressed. Clad in no more than loose white pants, similar to Katze's, but made of some silky expensive-looking fabric. His upper body was bare and Katze swallowed at that sight. All right, so Raoul _was_ beautiful. As much as Katze had seen and appreciated it every time he met the Blondie, he was never more aware of it than now. Broad, perfectly chiseled arms and chest, firm stomach, golden hair falling in waves on the porcelain-like skin of the shoulders. The hair brought Katze's attention back to Raoul's face and again the dealer was amazed by its beauty. Completely different beauty than Iason's. Not so cold, softer, eyes green not icy blue, though of course Katze never doubted that Raoul could be scary if he wanted to. And even now, even half naked, the Blondie lost nothing of his dignity.

Looking at the perfection of the creature in front of him for a moment robbed Katze of breath. But at the same time he knew there was nothing unusual in it. Of course every single half naked Blondie would arouse the same emotions in him, every single half naked Blondie would be breathtaking.

Raoul's gaze slid down as he put the laptop away. It stopped on the identification tag Katze was clenching in his hand.

"You've brought it. Very well. May I?"

Katze silently handed him the bracelet. He wasn't surprised to see the Blondie open the panel and tinker with it for a moment, pressing little keys inside. Raoul reached for his own Blondie's bracelet lying on the table next to the laptop and repeated the operation quickly. Katze could guess what it meant and didn't like it.

"You know the code opening your tag, don't you?"

Sure he knew. Or rather had known.

"I never tried to crack it. Iason told me when he was taking it off."

"I've changed it," Raoul announced. "Now I'll be the only person who can take it off."

Katze winced. What a surprise.

Furniture tags worked exactly like pet rings. They were identification units, tracers, and means of administering punishment, connected remotely with owners' corresponding devices. Raoul didn't wear his bracelet for the night, but he had the ring on his finger all the time. It was enough to shift one tiny lever there and the unfortunate property would writhe in pain at their master's feet. Katze knew it all too well, he'd experienced it a few times on his own skin.

"Well, come down here, will you?" Raoul prompted him, and he had no choice but to squat in front of the Blondie. "Give me your hand."

He swallowed and obeyed. He looked silently as the tag enclosed his wrist. Again, after all those years. Strange sparks were playing in Raoul's eyes, like flashes of excitement. Oh yes, during his time as a furniture Katze observed one interesting thing. Marking pets with rings and collars always gave their owners this particular satisfaction – as if it was not only the means of control, but also a symbol of possessing someone. Deep inside, Katze could understand it. He'd always had his own little satisfaction wearing Iason's tag, although he knew it was an illusion – Iason had never seen it that way. And now, seeing the same satisfaction in Raoul, Katze flinched inwardly.

"Couldn't refrain from putting a pet ring on me, huh?" he allowed himself a comment. Indeed, wasn't his tag more like a pet ring now?

Green eyes moved from his hand to his face. "Why should I refrain from that?"

Right, why should he? Why should Raoul refrain from anything he wanted? The Blondie's voice was light, almost careless, just like a smile curving his lips. He kept his gaze locked with Katze's as he pressed on the tag. The fastening snapped in place, making Katze shudder. Beautiful pink lips twitched slightly.

"Tomorrow morning," the Blondie said, pronouncing the words carefully for some reason, "we are going to pay a visit to this club. Virtual Ecstasy, I believe you called it."

We? But the thought dispelled as fast as it came, as the next words Raoul said were: "Now, get into bed."

And the Blondie's tone left no doubt as to which bed he meant.

Till the last moment Katze had hoped that after getting what he wanted, Raoul would send him back to his room. Or order him to sleep on the couch here, or something. He'd refused to admit that he would land in the Blondie's bed eventually. And here now... But Raoul didn't want sex, hadn't he said that? Then what? This question kept surfacing in Katze's mind again and again. He considered pleading, but decided against it. Somehow he knew it wouldn't help.

He felt awkward, moving towards the huge bed, sensing the Blondie's presence behind him. He felt terribly uneasy laying his body under the silk covers and feeling the mattress dip under Raoul's weight. The light went off. He was trembling. His mind worked with crazy apprehension. What now? What next?

The Blondie moved closer and Katze wished nothing more than to jump out this wonderfully comfortable trap. But of course he didn't. He held his body perfectly in command, lying stiffly on his back, not allowing himself to even jerk away.

"Turn to your side," he heard a low voice. "Your back to me."

"What do you..."

"Shh. Just do it." Soothing and firm at the same time.

And Katze obeyed, feeling even more vulnerable like this. And then the hand came around him and the warm body pressed to him from behind. Raoul exhaled deeply and Katze felt a hot rush of air on the crook of his neck.

"That's all I wanted," Raoul whispered. "Now, sleep."

But Katze couldn't sleep. He lay for a long time with his eyes open, staring dumbfounded into the darkness. So, he'd become a teddy bear for a Blondie – he didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that thought. But the truth was, somewhere deep inside him something stirred. So, Raoul just wanted that. A strong, emotionless Blondie just wanted someone close... The hand around him was pressing tightly, almost making it impossible to breath. And even when the Blondie's breath started to slow down, the grip didn't ease. Katze's own hand was lying on the pillow before him. He could easily distinguish the shape of the tag on his wrist, could feel the touch of cold, hard metal on his skin. And somehow this feeling – more than anything – convinced him that this evening, all of it, was real.


	3. Chapter 3

(Language corrections by Shayne and Phaedra7veils.)

**Chapter 3**

"Don't you have to go to work, really?" Katze asked as Raoul arranged the last bits of his attire in front of the huge mirror in the bedroom. In the elite fashion his suit was considered unofficial, still it was something much too sumptuous for anyone from Midas to wear.

"This is all within the business, I told you," the Blondie repeated almost light-heartedly, adjusting his cuff links. "And in any case, if someone needs me at the Center, they'll call."

Right, he was the boss after all, he could allow himself such freedom.

Katze was sitting on the chair's armrest, feeling a bit awkward waiting for the Blondie to get ready. He wasn't too happy with Raoul's idea. An elite of the highest rank playing detective, dragging himself to a suspicious net club in Midas. The Blondie would see some things there he should never see, that much Katze knew for sure. But Raoul had made himself very clear. WE are going there TOGETHER. He kept surprising Katze with almost everything he did.

Raoul cast one last glance at his reflection, then – clearly satisfied with the effect – turned and motioned at Katze with his chin.

"Well, shall we?"

The dealer rose reluctantly.

"Why do you want to do this, anyway?"

For a moment the biologist seemed uncertain of how to answer. He shrugged. "It's an important matter. I want to keep an eye on it myself." He nodded as if to assure himself of the truth of his words. "And besides," he smiled, "I was getting bored sitting in my office all the time. Why shouldn't I do it, after all?"

Katze didn't find a good answer for that.

Raoul moved to the door, beckoning him forward. "Let's go."

And Katze, willy nilly, followed him with one persistent thought in his head. The Blondie was looking for fun.

* * *

Riki stared at the message on the screen.

The Accelerator. He'd learned what it was from Katze a while ago. An illegal substance designed to speed up growth. It was used on cloned tissues – so that people who needed surgery didn't have to wait for their new limb or organ a year or so, but a few weeks at the most. But that was a more civilized and rather rare way to use it, as the Accelerator had a much wider application in the pet business. Why should one bother raising and feeding young pets until they reached the required age? Why should one wait for the money all that time and spend it when not necessary? The Accelerator was expensive but definitely cheaper than maintenance. And cheaper than equivalent legal substances.

The thought gave Riki a momentary shiver, but he quickly chased it away. What did he care what the stuff was used for? He had an errand to run and he was glad he was going to have a busy night. At least during those moments he felt like old times again.

Riki the Dark, he smirked under his breath. Riki the Dark who'd ended up as a Blondie's pet. Who could live in his own flat and sit at a computer because the Blondie indulged him. But Riki knew he would never forget those times when he had been treated like every other pet. Or worse. Forbidden to leave Eos, or even – at first – Iason's penthouse; not allowed to wear regular clothes, or even – at first – any clothes at all. Those had been times when the thought of using a computer, of any kind of autonomy, was just an unattainable dream.

Light steps behind him made him stir minutely.

"Something new?" Iason stopped next to him, slightly behind his chair.

"Yeah. I have a job tonight. Hope you don't mind."

"Katze sent it?"

"Yep."

"I see he is able to work after all."

Riki gave him a glance over his shoulder, not getting what the Blondie meant. With a corner of his mind he noticed that Iason was still in his housecoat, still hadn't changed into his official suit.

"Never mind, I'll tell you later," Iason smiled, answering his questioning look. "And as for now," he put his hand on the mongrel's shoulder, "I still have some time before I go. How about a quickie?"

Riki flinched, startled. "Aw, come on, you had me all night! I'm all sore!"

It was an automatic response, without any real thought to it. When it came to his... pet responsibilities, Riki made it a rule to oppose Iason, even if just verbally. Not that he wasn't sore, he was sore all right.

"Are you any more sore than usual?" Iason's voice was calm and composed, his hand slowly massaging Riki's shoulder.

"No. I'm exactly as sore as every fuckin' morning."

"Then your state is nothing abnormal. I don't see any obstacles to a little morning sex."

Ah, a trick. Again. Riki felt a flash of anger at himself. Wouldn't he ever learn? Iason was always playing those games of his and no matter how hard Riki tried, he always fell for them.

The Blondie reached for his arm and pulled him up. He shrugged the hand off, but rose anyway. Damn conditioning. It kicked in at all the right moments. Sometimes he thought all that was left of him were appearances. Insolent words, gloomy faces, all this hollow and completely futile. Maybe it would be better to abandon even that, he teased himself. But no, he knew he would never admit to Iason how broken he felt. Even if Iason knew it all the same.

And just to keep appearances, Riki grimaced unhappily at his master.

"Don't you ever get enough?"

"Apparently not. Let's go," the Blondie headed for the door, dragging him along.

"You're a pervert, you know that?"

A quiet, aristocratic chuckle.

"Sure I do. All of Tanagura is humming about it. I'd have to be deaf not to hear that."

Riki grumbled sulkily, but at the same time he felt the arousal already building up in his abdomen. He hated his treacherous body for giving in so easily. They moved through the living room of Riki's Apatia apartment and into the bedroom. Before the door could even close behind them, Iason gathered him into a tight embrace and locked their lips together. Riki wanted to struggle, wanted to show how much he hated this. Instead, he immediately melted into the kiss.

* * *

"So tell me," Raoul offered in a conversational voice. "Those tricks of yours. Where did you learn them?"

Katze needed a moment to comprehend what the Blondie had in mind. Ah yes, their yesterday's 'exercises' on the floor of Raoul's parlor. He cast a sidelong glance at the imperious man lounged in the passenger seat of his car. Was Raoul really interested?

"It's a very old technique," he said. "I guess you Blondies don't need anything like that. But kids from the slum have to know how to defend themselves."

"Kids from the slum? Don't tell me all mongrels can do such things."

"No, sure they don't," Katze smirked. "Most of them only know how to kick and punch. They need those skills to survive on the street. However, there are people in Ceres who can teach you more."

"So what made you learn more? Your black market work?"

"More or less. Many people in the black market use those lessons. They can be very helpful, believe me."

He glanced at the biologist again. He still felt a bit uneasy in his company. Hell if he didn't have a good reason. They'd actually spent a night together. In one bed, anyway. He remembered the strange feeling that had seized him when he woke up in the Blondie's embrace. It had been so long since someone had held him like that. When he had come round, Raoul was still asleep, the grip of his arms no less tight than in the night. So Katze just lay still, not sure if he would be allowed to leave the bed. And unwilling to wake the Blondie and put up with him again. He wasn't in a hurry anyway, he usually slept longer in the morning. He lay and had plenty of time to think, analyze the situation. And the strange thought that came into his mind was that he wasn't feeling that bad at all. Raoul's embrace didn't feel bad, the warmth of his body didn't feel bad. If it was all the Blondie wanted, let him have it. Katze didn't mind. Soon it would be over anyway, right?

"Raoul," he said suddenly, his mouth opening without his brain's permission. "How are you going to settle it? Formally, I mean."

"Settle what?" the Blondie was surprised.

"You know, me. Will Iason sign my furniture ID over to you? And what are you going to tell the others? That who am I to you? Computers can accept me as a furniture, people won't."

Raoul blinked a few times. "Your ID isn't the case yet. Iason gave me two months for the... trial period. But if it works then yes, I guess signing you over will be a good solution. I admit I haven't thought about it yet."

"And the people?"

Only now did Raoul look at him. His features hardened. "People don't have to know what you are to me. They won't ask if not given express permission."

"There will be gossip."

"So be it."

Katze squinted his eyes. "You wanna share Iason's fate?"

For a long time Raoul was silent, frozen in his seat, staring at the road. Finally, quietly, he spoke: "I guess I don't care." And then added more firmly, "I'm not doing anything wrong."

"You do sound like Iason, you know," Katze murmured.

The Blondie didn't grace him with an answer. They were silent for the rest of the trip. It wasn't far anyway. Five minutes later Katze parked the car in front of an inconspicuous looking entrance.

"You sure you don't want to wait in the car?" he asked, and seeing the look the Blondie gave him sighed with resignation. They got out of the vehicle.

The double doors were thick and rather shabby. There were two tiny steps down in front of them and a signboard above. Medium-sized neon letters formed two words: 'Virtual Ecstasy'. The neon wasn't glowing at the moment, so the sign didn't stand out.

"That's dingy," Raoul said, his lip curling as he eyed the entrance skeptically.

"I told you it's not a place for a Blondie." With that Katze moved towards the doors. "Keep behind me, alright?"

"Why?"

"You'll see." And after a second thought he added, "Please."

"Very well," the Blondie agreed.

They walked down the steps and entered the club. Inside, there were a few more steps to descend. The basement was dark, gray with cigarette smoke and reeking of cheap alcohol. The only light in the room came from little windows situated under the ceiling. There were four rows of computers, only five or six of the units occupied at the moment.

"That's what it is? Some net café?" Raoul whispered into his ear.

"Yeah, but not just that. Wait and see."

Katze moved to the owner who was slumped behind a high counter, playing some computer game. There was a battle theme coming from the speakers. The man was in his early forties and strikingly ugly – with a big belly and three days' stubble. Katze knew his nickname was Hunk.

"Yeah?" the man grunted, casting only a casual, brief glance in their direction without breaking the game. However when the glance met the Blondie, it stopped abruptly, glued to the unexpected guest. The man's eyes widened, hands froze on the keyboard. And at the same moment the speakers emitted a loud explosion.

"Fuck!" Hunk stirred back to life and angrily punched the pause button. "Fuck it! I was so far already. What is it?"

The last words were spat out in a single breath, but Katze understood they were however addressed to them. He cleared his throat.

"We want to hire a computer."

"Sure. Take any," the man waved his hand. "You pay afterwards." And after a momentary thought, he cocked his head distrustfully. "You sure a Blondie wants a computer here? Ain't he got one at his flop in Eos?"

"Yeah. How about that?" Katze leaned over the counter and lowered his voice to a barely audible level. "Red badger in the dungeon is waiting for his duck."

The change in Hunk's demeanor was stunning. He straightened his back and even pulled his stomach in a bit. His face assumed an expression of full vigilance.

"And what's the duck got to offer?" he asked.

"Virtual ecstasy."

Raoul watched this exchange with a slightly opened mouth. He stirred when the owner moved his gaze back to him and pointed at him with his chin.

"What about him?"

"He's with me," Katze said. "He won't be any trouble."

"Like hell he won't," Hunk grumbled, but nevertheless got up and motioned at them. "Come with me."

Katze followed him silently and heard that Raoul tagged along as well. They moved to a room in the back. The man approached a wooden cabinet by the wall and turned a tiny, kitschy figurine of a ballet dancer sitting on one of the shelves. The cabinet moved aside, revealing a narrow staircase leading down. He cast one searching glance behind and waved his hand at them again. Primitive, Katze thought. His own suite in Midas was better hidden.

"You should have called to make an appointment first," Hunk grumbled as they descended. "I don't usually hire the place out when someone just walks in off the street."

"I didn't have time. We're in a hurry."

"Oh yeah? And what if someone was down there at the moment?"

"But there isn't anyone, right?"

"Smartass."

What Katze had managed to find out when running his inquiry about the club, was that Virtual Ecstasy wasn't simply a net café. Since it was obvious that no self-respecting hacker would use his home terminal to hack, there was always a need for a place where hackers could do their work. They needed a place where they would be provided with unconditional discretion, where they could be sure no one would disturb them. And most of all, they needed first-class equipment. In Midas there were a few places that specialized in hiring terminals out to hackers. Virtual Ecstasy was one of them. Hunk was the owner of one of the most powerful terminals in Midas. He kept it in his cellar, right under the official part of the club. Of course it was strictly confidential and known only in certain circles. It wasn't enough to say 'I want to do some hacking' to be let in on the existence of this place. The hackers' world very reasonably protected itself from the outside and never fully trusted itself on the inside. One had to do a good deal of hacking to enter a hacker chat room, and even more hacking to get the admission password to this place. Katze didn't know the world of Midas hackers too well. He was considered the outside – known as the one who hung around with Blondies, and thus could not be trusted. But it was easy to enter the chat room under a false identity and find out what he wanted. So, here he was. And there was the Blondie dragging in his wake.

Hunk let them into the room. A huge terminal and a worn out sofa were its only furnishings. Katze assessed the terminal with his gaze. It looked imposing, indeed. What it could do was another matter.

Hunk turned to them. "You know the rules?"

"More or less."

"You pay in cash after you finish. One hour costs 500 credits. You have as much time as you want. You can install anything you need – hardware and software, but when you leave, you remove all your stuff. I want the terminal just like it was at the beginning. I ask no questions, I don't wanna know anything. Got it?"

That was clever, Katze thought. That was safer for both sides.

"500 credits?" Raoul spoke unexpectedly. "You put great value on your wares."

"I have to earn to keep this stuff here up to date," Hunk nodded at the terminal. "Plus, it's a price for the risk. Don't tell me you don't have the money, Blondie."

"Actually, we're not here to hack," Katze said. It was a good moment to start the inquiry – the guy had already shown them the place and admitted running it, there was no way for him to back down now. "We wanted to ask you some questions."

Hunk turned to him abruptly, his ugly face immediately tensed. "Whaddaya mean?"

"We need to know who hired this place six nights ago."

Little eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"That's none of your business. We're not a threat. We ask, you answer, we go, and all is forgotten. All we need is to know everything you can tell us about this man."

"Go to hell. They pay me for my silence and for not asking questions. Even if I knew who he was, I wouldn't tell you."

"We can pay you as well," Raoul said. "Just name the price."

"Forget it. It's my rep on the line. Can't put a price on that." Hunk was suddenly beaming with pride in his business. "Man, I don't even remember what _I_ was doing six nights ago, let alone some guy I've never seen before."

"So, he wasn't one of your regular clients, right?" Katze picked up. "That's good for a start."

"Fuck off! I told you I ain't talking!" The man was getting positively pissed off. His face turned a bright shade of red. "Just get outta here and leave me alone!"

"We also have other means of persuasion," Raoul said calmly. "We might call the police. If they come, Virtual Ecstasy will be no more."

For a moment Hunk tensed, but then he laughed with contempt. "And why do you think this joint still exists? You think it would be here if I didn't pay the cops off? Go on, call. I'll even bring you the phone."

Raoul was silent. Of course, even if the guy was bluffing, no one wanted the police here. They would snatch their only witness from under their very noses, not to mention they could become very curious about Raoul and Katze's presence in this place. Especially taking into account Raoul's latest problems in the Center. Oh no, the police was the last thing they needed. Hunk apparently guessed Raoul's reasoning, because he laughed again.

"You see? There's nothing you can do to me."

Katze sighed. Some citizens of Midas were reasonable people and had respect for their betters. On seeing a Blondie who wasn't well disposed towards them, they softened right away or showed a clean pair of heels. But there were also those who lacked reason, or maybe just – blissfully ignorant – weren't aware what the effects of elite's anger could be.

From the first moment Katze had seen Hunk, he'd known that the guy belonged to the second category. Without much anger, he grabbed the fat man, turned him around and pushed him against the wall, twisting one pudgy hand behind the corpulent back. The guy screamed and wriggled to get free, but Katze managed to hold him, pressing on his wrist and wringing another cry from the flabby throat.

There was hardly anyone who lacked reason in the face of pain – years spent in the black market had taught Katze that.

"Listen up," he told the man. "We're gonna get it out of you one way or the other. We can do it the hard way, like this," he bent the plump palm at an unnatural angle. The man gasped and thrashed, but to no avail. "Or we can do it the easy way. Personally, I don't see a reason to get hurt over a guy you don't even know. We can promise he'll never find out it was you who gave him away."

"I'd advise you to listen to him." Raoul added from his place. "He knows some nasty tricks. He can make you hurt like hell with a mere touch. When he knocked me down yesterday, I thought I'd cough up my lungs."

Katze cast a curious glance in the Blondie's direction. Raoul was leaning against the dirty wall, hands folded on his chest. A small smile played over his lips. Hunk's eye – the one Katze could see – widened as the guy stared at the biologist. He giggled somewhat hysterically.

"Right. Like I'm gonna believe it."

"You better. 'Cause when it doesn't work with me, he'll take over," Katze nodded at Raoul. "He praises me here, but he's much better. Did you know that the Blondies can crush your bones barehanded?"

The man shivered thoroughly. Thick drops of sweat appeared on his temple.

"Fuck off!" he spat. His voice was weaker, though, faltering. Katze sensed his chance.

"I'll ask you one more time," he spoke evenly. "Try to recall the guy who rented this place six nights ago. Everything you know and noticed about him."

"I don't know anyth—" the voice got thick with pain as Katze pressed again. "Hey! Stop it! Alright, alright! I remember!"

Katze smiled contentedly and met Raoul's satisfied gaze. Hunk, as it turned out, was very reasonable in the face of pain. He loosened his grip, but didn't let the man go.

"Tell us."

"He had short green hair, tall, slim, about thirty, maybe a little younger. I have no idea what his name was. He didn't introduce himself."

"That's not enough. There are lots of guys like that. Try something better."

"But there's nothing!" Another press, just slight, but it was enough to make the guy scream. "Wait... ah!... wait, I know! He had a tattoo on his hand. Yeah! A tattoo on his right hand!"

"What tattoo?"

"I have no idea! For Jupiter's sake, stop it! I tell ya I don't know. The guy was wearing a jacket. Just saw it... ah... just for a blink, when he raised his hand... on his forearm. Something... longish, some zigzag. I dunno, I swear!"

Katze stepped back, releasing the man, as he realized that he wasn't lying. Hunk turned around and leaned heavily against the wall, panting and massaging his sore hand.

"Damn you!" he muttered.

"Anything else?" Raoul asked. "Maybe you know how he found your place. Was he alone? Was he maybe an elite? Did he say something – mention any names, anything?"

"Yeah, like hell elite," the man jeered. "It's just a perfect place for elite to drop in sometimes. Fuck no, he wasn't elite. Just an average citizen. Alone. And no, he didn't say anything special, just kept his mouth shut like most people. And all the better, I hate knowing stuff I don't need to know."

It could have been a lie, but Katze didn't think so. Once broken, they didn't lie again. That was another thing he had learned during his years in the black market.

"Very well then," he said. "We would like to use the terminal now. Just for an hour. We'll pay, of course, right?" he looked questioningly at the Blondie.

"Of course we will," Raoul assured. "Double price. For the additional effort of providing us with the information."

The man was still cradling his hand, but at the mention of money his face softened a bit. Raoul pushed off the wall and moved to the sofa. He brushed off the dust and sat down carefully, crossing his legs, while Katze switched the computer on.

"But since it will take some time," the Blondie spoke in an aristocratic voice, "could you please bring us some tea? For tea we'll naturally pay as well."

Hunk gave him a dark look and grumbling something under his breath went upstairs, leaving them alone.

"You want to check if the guy left any traces here?" Raoul guessed. Katze just nodded in answer, waiting for the terminal to be ready to work.

Five minutes later Hunk was back with their tea, surprising them that he'd taken the order seriously. He took the money and, swearing at them just loud enough for them to hear it, left for good. Katze glanced up as the door closed behind him then turned back to the computer.

"Well? Did you have fun?" he asked on impulse.

"Actually—" Raoul's voice paused for a second, uncertain and as if surprised. "Actually, I haven't had so much fun since I was a kid."

The dealer smirked, looking at the regular rows of log lists running quickly down the screen. "You would make a good bully, you know? With a little training, that is."

"Well," this time the Blondie's voice sounded slightly indignant, "thanks a lot."

* * *

Raoul stopped at the threshold of Katze's room and took in the picture. Gray clouds of cigarette smoke hovered over the terminal and the dealer's red head. A steaming cup of tea or coffee sat on the computer panel at some distance from the keyboard. Definitely coffee, not tea, Raoul decided. Strangely, this sight, this thought made him smile. He approached the terminal and leaned against the board.

"Anything?"

"Not yet, I've just started. Took a few minutes of rest."

"It's good to know you rest sometimes."

Raoul himself had indulged in a bath. He felt filthy after an hour spent in that place.

"But it won't be easy," Katze observed.

"So you've said."

Katze had told him that already in the car. There were very few traces left in the terminal, just some logs in the registers, mainly about the programs that had been used – installed and uninstalled. All this worthless – it could hardly be helpful in their quest. It didn't look good, actually, since all they had was the guy's basic appearance. And the tattoo. It was hard to find someone through the net with nothing but his description.

Katze continued his work, undisturbed by the Blondie's presence. Raoul stayed in place, unwilling to leave for some reason. He watched Katze for a while as the dealer's fingers flew deftly over the keyboard. He watched the funny way Katze bit the cigarette filter and the little frown on his face when those narrow amber eyes were thoughtfully focused on the screen. Finally he forced his gaze away. It wasn't good – staring like that.

He wrapped his arms around himself and crossed his ankles.

"I was just thinking," he spoke after some time. "It's good that I haven't told anyone in the Center that we are investigating the matter."

"Why?" came the casual question, not too much attention in it.

"Because it must have been someone from there. Or at least someone with a mole planted inside."

"Huh?" The hands stopped. Katze glanced at him.

"Just think about it. They broke in deliberately – only one terminal was hacked. It seems they were looking for very particular data, they didn't touch anything else. And who else would know about it? Only people from the Center or in some way connected. People who know the Center's projects."

"Quite right," Katze murmured. "I haven't thought about it."

"Well, I have. And now I have my own check to run. Perhaps it will go easier."

The dealer bit the filter of his cigarette, considering it for a moment.

"But you heard the guy. Our hacker wasn't an elite. What about it?"

Raoul shrugged. "A good disguise? Elites are human after all, they don't have their origins written on their foreheads."

Katze gave him a minimal, strangely knowing smile and returned to his work without another word. After a while, Raoul reluctantly pushed himself away from the desk and left him alone.

* * *

Tanagura, 21:30

An oval reptile head with yellow slanting eyes rested comfortably on the man's shoulder. The snake made very disturbing movements every time its owner shrugged or moved his hand.

Sweet little thing, Riki thought spitefully, staring into the snake's unblinking eyes, and the snake stared back at him. He remembered Katze's message saying that the man had introduced himself as Viper. Now Riki knew why.

"Show me the stuff," the man spoke, making the mongrel tear his gaze away from the animal.

"Show me the money," Riki countered automatically.

Two tiny suitcases landed simultaneously on a little table between them. They pushed them towards each other over the table top, eyeing one another carefully. The suitcase with the money was small, too small, Riki didn't like its smallness.

The meeting took place in an empty warehouse at the docks, near the spaceport. It was one of Katze's regular meeting spots. Formally the place belonged to the port grounds, surrounded by a solid fence that effectively away kept any unwelcome onlookers.

The room was dimly lit, empty except for the square table in the middle. Two huge guys stood like a wall behind Viper, their arms crossed on broad chests in an 'I'm-the-toughest' posture. Riki was aware of the heavy presence of his own bodyguards behind his back.

He busied himself with counting the money, while the man produced a little plastic kit from under the table and placed it next to the suitcase with the Accelerator. He opened both cases and started to bustle about them. Some time passed in silence.

"All right, the stuff is clean," Viper stated finally.

"I told you. We don't sell crap," Riki murmured.

But the money wasn't enough, he decided after a few more minutes, having counted the banknotes once and again. He wasn't very surprised. He'd suspected it since the moment he saw the valise.

"Where's the rest?" he asked.

"What rest?" the man raised his head over the case lid and stared at him, eyebrows high on his forehead.

"It's only half. Where's the rest of money?" Riki said in a sharp voice. He heard a momentary rustle behind his back as the two bulks of his bodyguards switched into readiness mode. The dealer's sidekicks tensed immediately in response. Riki waved his hand, not turning around, giving his men a sign to wait.

Unexpectedly, Viper's face pulled into a smile.

"Tell me, Riki the Dark, I've heard that you are a pet."

Riki frowned. He didn't like that tone in the man's voice. He didn't like the expression on his face. And most of all he didn't like the words.

"It's none of your business who I am. Where's the rest of money?"

"And you know what I heard about pets?" the man continued with that infuriating smile. The snake on his shoulder seemed contented as well. "That they are awfully stupid. Like they can't count and read. You sure you counted correctly? Better try again."

Riki braced himself not to burst in anger right away and forced his voice into calmness. "Listen man, don't fool around with me here. I want the rest of my goddamned money, or this little rendezvous is over."

"And you know what else I heard? That they are cowards. They always do what they are told, 'cause they are scared shitless that they'll be punished. And I'll tell you what, little pet," suddenly there was a gun in the man's hand. Aiming straight at Riki's head. The smile was gone. Viper rose, towering over him. "Do as I say or I'll shoot you right in your pretty head."

What the hell— Riki cursed inwardly. There was a rustle behind him and he saw Viper's bodyguards pull out their guns as well and aim at his men. Damn you Katze, you said it would be an easy job.

"Put the guns down!" Viper shouted, casting a quick glance over Riki's shoulder at the place where his bodyguards stood. Nothing. No sound came from that direction. Riki felt his lips twist in a smile. Good, guys, never give up that easily. Viper's gaze jumped back and forth from him to his men. "I said put them down or I'll blow his..."

The words ended on a gasp of pain as the mongrel grabbed Viper's armed wrist, seizing the moment when the man's eyes left him. He twisted it, wrenching the gun from the dealer's hand, and threw him face down on the table top between the suitcases. He dug his elbow into the snake's body coiled around Viper's neck and pressed the muzzle to his temple.

Only then did he look up. His men still pointed their guns at the bodyguards opposite them, who still aimed right back. No shooting luckily, never had time to react, right? Riki was vaguely aware that all this must have happened in a blink of an eye. He knew how fast he could be sometimes.

"Ever seen a pet who can do this?" he hissed, lowering his head over Viper's ear. The man wriggled and Riki pressed harder on his wrist. "Stay still!" The dealer whimpered in pain and went limp under him. Riki grinned, satisfied. "Well, it looks like it's your men who need to put their guns down. Tell them."

The man shivered angrily. He was defiantly silent, gritting his teeth. Riki prompted him, driving the muzzle deeper into his temple.

"Tell them!"

Viper groaned.

"You heard him, guys. Put the guns down."

One of the bodyguards looked at his boss hesitantly and rather vacantly. "You okay, Viper?"

"Just fuckin' do it!"

Slowly, the two big men bent over and placed their guns on the ground. Riki's grin widened.

"Now that's more like it. So here's how it's gonna be. Either you find the rest of the money now, or I'm taking the stuff and the transaction is cancelled. The choice is yours."

For a moment Viper looked as if he wanted to balk again. But then he sighed.

"Axel, go to the car and bring the money."

The same bodyguard who had spoken before, gave his boss another vacant look and, after an instant, nodded and went out. He was back a minute later, carrying a suitcase that looked exactly like the one on the table. It was minute in his huge hand.

"Put it on the floor over there," Riki nodded at the place next to the table. Axel complied meekly, then quickly backed away, returning to where he had stood before.

"Fred, check it. It should be the half of the amount."

Fred, the smaller of Riki's men, approached the valise, knelt over it and lifted the lid. Riki turned his attention back to Viper.

"Wanted to screw me over, huh? Figured that a pet would be too stupid or too soft to deal with the situation. And in case if that didn't work you still had your gun, right? Right?!" he jerked the man violently, giving his anger free rein. "Well, tough shit! It's real stupid to underestimate someone like that."

He was angry, oh, he was angry alright, but at the same time he was excited. It felt good to be given an opportunity to say that. It felt wonderful to be able to vent the rage that had seethed in him for so long, to prove that he was still worth something.

Five minutes later, just as Riki's muscles started to go numb from hovering over the man in this awkward position, Fred closed the suitcase and nodded.

"It's all there, boss."

"Good, keep it with you." Riki prodded Viper one last time and moved away quickly, releasing him, but still aiming at his head. The dealer straightened cautiously and reached for his wrist, wincing painfully. The mongrel noticed that little grimace with vicious satisfaction.

"Now, sit in your chair," he commanded. He waited for the man to follow the order. "You can close the suitcase. The stuff is yours. You're lucky, you know. I should take the money _and_ the Accelerator. As an extra for cheating and insulting me. But I'm an honest guy."

"Damn you," Viper muttered sulkily as Riki approached the table and took the valise with the money. "I really heard that pets are stupid."

"Because they mostly are," the mongrel winked at him and retreated towards the entrance. His bodyguards moved behind him. He stopped by the door and let them through first but heard them stop just outside and wait for him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go. My master is waiting for me at home. So long, losers!"

Feeling high on adrenaline and a well-executed job, he even bowed dramatically before leaving. They quickly got on their bikes and sped away from the place, but of course no one tried to chase them.

Later on, as they were riding along Tanagura and then Midas streets, and Riki felt the rush of air through his hair, he felt like screaming or laughing at the top of his lungs. He hadn't felt like that for four years. It was like being alive again.

* * *

_"Why is sex so special?" Iason echoed Raoul's question and chuckled sensually. "I'm afraid anything I say won't be a good explanation."_

_"I mean, if you need physical release so much, you can always handle yourself," Raoul pointed out. "Alone, without breaking the rules and disgracing yourself in front of another. Nobody will ever find out. And the pleasure is the same, right?"_

_Iason chuckled again and under his gaze Raoul suddenly felt uneasy. As if his friend could see right through him, to all his secrets._

_"No, it isn't the same," Iason spoke. "When you touch yourself it's nothing compared to the pleasure you can receive from sharing the experience with somebody else. From holding him, feeling his body pressed to yours, feeling his warmth, his scent, knowing that he is... a living being that you care for. But how can I explain care to you, Raoul?"_

Raoul remembered how those words had hurt him deep inside. Even now it hurt to recall them. Iason thought Raoul couldn't feel. For some reason it seemed unfair. Raoul could feel, wanted to feel, although he couldn't specify it in any way. Until just a few days ago he'd had no idea how or what he wanted to feel – and to whom. And even now, when he was holding Katze in his embrace, it was – maybe more clear, somehow closer to him – but still hard to understand.

Yesterday, till the last moment, he hadn't known what the evening would bring. He'd decided to act on his emotions and see what comes out. He was firm about one thing though – not to engage in direct sexual activity. And then, when he had Katze lying next to him, he'd calmed down. It was enough, he didn't need more. He didn't need sex at all.

Tonight... tonight he was holding the mongrel again. And it still was good. He had never expected that merely holding someone would feel so incredibly good. Iason was right about the warmth of another's body, about the smoothness... actually it would have been better if Katze didn't have his pajama top on... about the touch. Raoul wanted to feel the touch of skin to skin, not skin to fabric.

And of course he didn't want sex, but there were those thoughts, those memories of his and Iason's talks.

_"It's like being one with another person. Somebody who is dear to you, somebody whom you want as close as possible. This is the only way you can feel it."_

Raoul tightened his arms around Katze for a try.

"Hey, you're choking me," the dealer's complaining voice brought him back to prosaic reality.

"Sorry," Raoul muttered and forced his hands to unclench a bit. Tonight Katze was clearly more relaxed next to him and he liked it.

_"And the grip is completely different,"_ Iason in his mind continued his lecture. _"Hand, mouth, anus, it all feels different and I can assure you that a hand, especially your own hand, is the least stimulating of all these," saying this Iason smiled knowingly. Raoul shivered. Did he know? No, of course not. How could he know? And a moment later the smile disappeared without any further could-be hints. "When you enter another's body it's so much tighter, encircling you all around, so silky, so delightfully hot. And a mouth... oh, they can do such incredible things with their mouths." _

Raoul shut his eyes tightly, trying to dispel Iason's image from his mind. His heart was beating too fast, he needed to calm down. He hastily started to memorize his tomorrow's to-do list to turn his thoughts to the safer grounds and luckily, after a minute or so, the pounding slowed.

What Raoul was terribly ashamed of and what he avoided admitting even to himself, was that he, indeed, had tried to pleasure himself a few times. He wanted to know what an orgasm felt like. Wanted to find out if it was really as pleasant as was claimed.

It was pleasant, all right, he liked it and that's why he was tempted to do it a few more times after he'd initially tasted it. But it wasn't anything to be crazy about. It wasn't anything one couldn't refrain from doing. Or at least – from doing every night. Especially since every time afterwards he felt so guilty that at least for a few days the very thought of masturbating made him sick.

But now, as he remembered Iason's words, there was a new thought in his head. _So much tighter, encircling you all around, so silky, so delightfully hot..._ and only a few inches away from you. The thought was revolting, yet at the same time so alluring that he gasped for air and gritted his teeth.

But he didn't need to try it at all, right? He was perfectly happy with what he already had. Somehow it was harder to convince himself of that tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

(Language corrections by Shayne and Phaedra7veils.)

**Chapter 4**

Two weeks passed without progress in the investigation.

All of Katze's efforts to identify the man with the tattoo came to nothing. He tried every means he could think of. He held ample data on people working in the black market and started his search by browsing through it. When that didn't help, he turned to other black market bosses – those few ones he trusted. He couldn't just ask anyone around if he didn't want the rumor to spread and the guy to get scared away. Keeping his search at the top level guaranteed him the highest possible efficiency with the fewest possible leaks. The bosses provided him with even more data, still to no avail. Apparently, the guy wasn't anyone known to the people known to him, possibly even to anyone in the black market.

Next, he broke into the registry of Midas citizens, but there were hundreds of guys that answered Hunk's description. And hell if he could find any more specific information there – like tattoos they were or weren't wearing. Finally he checked the offers of a few Midas tattoo studios, trying to figure out what the drawing on the guy's hand could be. Half of the designs were longish and a large portion of them consisted of some regular pattern. But he already knew it was pointless. Even if he managed to find the right pattern, then what? Was he supposed to run around the studios, asking if a certain green-haired guy had used their services by any chance? He didn't even know how old this damn tattoo was.

It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. If it wasn't for the traces he'd found in Hunk's terminal, he would have doubted they were on the right track at all.

Raoul wasn't any more lucky. The inquiry he'd run among his people proved fruitless as well. Of course he couldn't screen everyone in the Center, it had way too many employees, but all of his closest subordinates and people who might know about the project were thoroughly checked. That added up to a few dozen men.

None of those men had any suspicious background or connections, none of them had any stains on their record – any stains that could be relevant to this matter anyway.

Moreover, it seemed strange that someone from the inside would use an outside hacker to access inside data. It was illogical. So maybe it wasn't a mole after all, maybe it was just someone who let the secret slip out by accident.

It seemed most possible, considering the circumstances. And it was the worst, because if that was the case, Raoul really didn't see anything he could do.

* * *

He sat down, sinking into the brightly colored foam. He threw his head back, leaning it against the bathtub's headrest and stretched his body comfortably. Katze poured the last scented oil into the water. Mmm... almond. Raoul smiled. He took some time just to lie like that and relax. He felt the mongrel's presence next to him, waiting.

"Rub my shoulders, Katze," he spoke after a few minutes, not opening his eyes.

Light steps approached him from behind.

"You have to lean forward," the dealer said softly but there was a subtle note of command in his voice. Raoul liked it. He pulled his body up and bent slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. He felt his hair being collected and pinned in a bun high on his head.

"It was in the way," Katze explained.

Strong hands rested on his shoulders and began to knead the muscles. Raoul kept his eyes closed, immersed in pleasant thoughts. The presence of the former furniture at this moment in his bathroom, behind his back, and serving him so expertly was extremely exciting.

Tonight Raoul had a whim. He wanted Katze to play furniture for him, to attend to him while he was taking a bath. And so Katze was here. He'd prepared this exquisite hot tub and was now giving him this lovely rubdown. Raoul turned the scene at every angle in his mind, trying to imagine it, to draw it down to the smallest detail. Katze was wearing his informal clothes – jeans and a light, sleeveless top. So, the Blondie continued his musings, he could see Katze's muscled arms, the tag on his right wrist, red strands falling over those fine features, and himself as he was at the moment – even more beautiful.

Katze's fingers worked along his shoulders for a while, then ran up his neck and slightly into his hair. They felt absolutely wonderful. Raoul bowed his head to give them better access and show that he liked it. He allowed himself one quiet moan. He decided he would have to engage Katze in this kind of work more often, maybe even make it their routine. He should have thought about it before. He'd lost nearly two weeks of pure bliss.

The fingers left his neck and moved down his back. They run along his spine, lightly, as if playfully. Was it just Raoul's imagination or was there something more to this touch than just a massage? He was sure Reo had never done it like that, never dared to go that far up and down, to almost caress his back and neck. He never had those sensations when it was the boy taking care of him. On the other hand, Katze was just bolder by nature, more experienced and well, Raoul had never slept with Reo in one bed.

Suddenly, with certain unhappiness, the Blondie realized that he was having an erection. Really, mere thinking of Katze attending to him gave him a hard-on? Fortunately there was a lot of foam in the water, so the dealer couldn't see it. Raoul focused, trying to chase the unwelcome arousal away and after a while he succeeded.

During those last two weeks of having Katze around he had developed more erections than he'd had in his whole life... all right, maybe not quite, but still. It especially happened at nights, when the dealer was lying next to him. Trying to hide an erect penis from someone you wanted to plaster yourself all over was particularly inconvenient. It took a great deal of his Blondie well-studied self-control to keep his body in check.

"Enough, thanks," he murmured. "Wash my hair now."

He heard only a quiet, slightly exasperated sigh behind him, but then Katze proceeded to do as he was ordered. Raoul took delight in his every action – in water pouring over his head, in fingers massaging his scalp, warming the cold touch of shampoo...

"Lean back," the dealer commanded when Raoul's hair was washed, and rinsed, and coated with conditioner. The Blondie did as he was told, half laying again. Katze kept the veil of his hair up and rested it on the edge of the bathtub behind him. A moment later Raoul felt a brush in his hair, combing it slowly, carefully.

"Mmm... splendid," he murmured, but there was no answer.

It took another few delicious minutes. Finally Katze put the brush away. But Raoul didn't feel like finishing the bath, not just yet.

"Sit with me for a while," he said.

The redhead surprised him by sinking to his knees beside the bathtub in typical furniture pose. Raoul stared at him.

"You don't have to kneel on the floor. Take the chair."

"It's alright," Katze said, keeping his eyes low. "I suppose you prefer it that way."

It almost gave Raoul another erection, but he fought it with the last bits of his will.

They sat like that for a while in silence. Raoul felt too relaxed to care for small talk, furniture wasn't supposed to speak when not required. It was ten, maybe fifteen minutes later when he decided he'd had enough and commanded Katze to assist him out of the bath.

The dealer obediently opened the drain and turned up the heater so that Raoul's body didn't suffer from the temperature change. The Blondie kept his eyes closed. He heard the eunuch reach for the shower head and felt the warm stream of water pouring over his skin, rinsing off the remnants of foam and soap. Perfect, Katze knew how to tend to his needs without being instructed. Not every furniture had those skills. The dealer's so evident past as one again filled Raoul with joy.

He sat completely naked, exposing his body to the caress of the shower and the warm breath of ventilation. He didn't feel embarrassed. Him, nude, in front of the completely dressed furniture. It was a normal situation, who was to serve the elite during a bath if not furniture? Furniture were nothing to be embarrassed of – they were just pieces of equipment. And with Katze it was even better. Raoul didn't just feel no shame. There was this particular pleasure of being able to show off his own body, to brag with it. He knew his physique was perfect. He knew Katze would admire it.

And Katze did admire it – just like during their first night together, when he saw Raoul undressed for the first time. The imperious man lying in front of him was nothing short of breathtaking. Katze had already come to terms with having Raoul around more often than Iason. He no longer felt this straining disappointment while looking into green eyes instead of blue ones, seeing deep gold of hair, instead of platinum blond. Now that he knew Raoul's face better, he could make an even better comparison. The line of Raoul's jaw was more angular, the nose shorter and eyebrows thicker and rather straight, without Iason's arch. He could see all this now, looking at Raoul's nearly angelic features fully exposed, without the veil of hair covering a part of them and had to fight a sudden urge to touch that face. It had to be nice – to touch something so beautiful, to feel those refined lines under his fingers. Sometimes he wondered if Raoul wasn't more beautiful than Iason. Of course, these were just strictly aesthetic sensations, not that his feelings ever changed.

And the rest of the body... Katze had to admit that completely naked Raoul looked even better than when wearing only his pants. Now he could fully appreciate how perfect the proportions of the Blondie's figure were. The line of the waist widened a bit as it ran down to the hips; and then, lower, there were those long, lean, almost hairless legs. There was only one part of Raoul's anatomy that Katze somehow didn't like. He really didn't feel like looking at what the Blondie had between his legs. He managed to keep his eyes off it before, used the excuse of bustling around the bathroom and was turned away for most of the time when Raoul undressed, before his body dipped into the water. Now there was just no way not to see it, and the sight made Katze shudder. He'd heard that all elites were well equipped. Well, Raoul was no exception.

A few minutes later the water was turned off and the shower head put in its place. Raoul opened his eyes lazily. Katze was already waiting with a huge towel in his hands. The Blondie rose and stepped out of the tub. He let the skillful hands dry his body and put a warm, long housecoat on his shoulders.

"You were a good furniture, weren't you?" he offered.

"Iason never complained."

"Iason always praised you," Raoul smiled. With a confident gait he moved towards the door. Katze followed him silently.

"Make me a drink," he commanded in the bedroom. He took a book waiting for him on the desk and headed for the bed. "I leave the ingredients to your invention," he added, stretching comfortably on the mattress.

A moment later the drink sat on the nightstand and Katze stood over him, looking down with anticipation. Raoul raised his eyes to him.

"May I go back to my work now?" the redhead asked.

"Of course. Just be back at midnight, will you?"

"Sure thing," Katze snorted and left.

Raoul cast a short glance at the clock. An hour and a half. He closed his eyes and the image of Katze – and what he must be doing now – came into his mind of its own accord. He saw the dealer sit down in front of the screen, heard the snap of the lighter. He saw Katze resume his favorite activity with his favorite cigarette in hand. He allowed himself to muse over those little pleasures of life for a moment, then proceeded to indulge in his own little pleasures with delight.

Raoul was extremely pleased with the evening. Wrapped in the warm bathrobe, with a good book in hand, delicious drink beside him and a certain red-haired mongrel just a wall or two away, he considered himself a very lucky man.

* * *

And when a few minutes past midnight Katze was back, wearing his pajamas as always, Raoul didn't think of containing himself any longer. The thought had been pestering him for quite a while now and he finally made the decision.

"Undress. We're sleeping naked tonight."

Katze tensed, looking at him with wide eyes. "Wha...?"

"You heard me."

The dealer took a step back. His lips trembled. "I'd rather not."

"I'm sorry, it's not open for discussion." Raoul was suddenly angered by Katze's reaction. "Listen, I don't intend to do anything to you. I just don't see a reason to wear those," he pointed at the mongrel with his chin, "since we already saw each other. I don't have my pajamas on and I don't feel like it, either."

What was wrong about it, after all? He just wanted to use the occasion to try something that was bothering his curious mind. He sometimes slept naked when he was alone. Why shouldn't he sleep naked with Katze?

He put the book away, got up quickly and shook the bathrobe off his shoulders, letting it slide into a crumpled heap on the carpet. He sunk back under the covers, feeling their smoothness against his bare skin, and sent Katze a challenging glance. Now, that should show the mongrel that his decision was final.

Katze was staring at him, frozen in place.

"Undress and get into bed," Raoul repeated.

The redhead sighed. Reluctantly, he opened the zipper of his blouse and left it on the floor as well. The pants followed it quickly and Katze slipped under the sheets with almost panicked haste. Raoul studied him, leaning on his elbow.

"Are you so ashamed of your body that you hide it even in front of someone who's already seen it?"

"It's definitely nothing to be proud of," Katze murmured unhappily, his gaze escaping Raoul.

"Nonsense, I don't believe you really mean what you're saying."

However he knew such an attitude was quite common among furniture. As a biologist he'd read a few studies on furniture's psychology and was familiar with the problem. Their situation wasn't easy. They had to get used to their mutilation, to living without sex, being treated as asexual pieces of equipment in a world where sex was one of the most important aspects of life. Denying own body was a simple way to cope with that.

Still, Katze's words struck him. They were so ridiculous.

He moved closer to the dealer and put his arms around him. The sensation almost sent him flying. Oh yes, it was different, quite completely different. Katze shuddered and tensed when their bodies came into contact, and Raoul shuddered as well.

"Oh, Jupiter," he moaned. At the moment he felt too dizzy to mind his vocalizations.

He had a hard-on again, of course he had, but he didn't care anymore. He just couldn't draw back. There was nothing he wanted more right now than to pull Katze even closer, to wrap around him even tighter. The mongrel must have felt his erection – it was pressed shamelessly against his back, but he didn't say anything. He just lay stiff in the ring of Raoul's arms, and the Blondie doubted he would dare comment on it.

"Sorry for that," he however found himself saying. "It's... nothing. It will pass."

"Yes," Katze muttered weakly, without much sense.

Raoul resigned himself to the wonderful sensation of the naked body against him. He loosened his grip and holding Katze with one arm put his hand on the dealer's side. The muscle under the skin quivered slightly.

"Shhh, easy, I told you I won't do anything. I just want to feel... for a moment."

He ran his hand down, tracing the line of the slim body, relishing the sensation of skin under his palm. It slid into the hollow formed by the waist, and then moved up the slightly angular hip. His fingers brushed the delicate skin in the crook of Katze's pelvis and ran even lower, along the muscled thigh.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" Raoul breathed more to himself than to Katze, tracing the same lines again as his hand moved up.

Something akin to a stifled sob escaped Katze's throat, but that was all. Raoul took his hand from the mongrel's side and closed his grip again. His sex was still proudly erect but he ignored it. There was really nothing he could do about it this time.

* * *

The comm unit buzzed a few minutes before noon. Raoul answered it automatically, interrupting his work, and only after he pressed the button, did he check who was calling.

Shisei Kano. The screen flashed to life, showing a beautiful face of the Platina.

"Raoul, hello," the silver-haired elite greeted him briskly.

Raoul smiled and it was only partly a business smile. He nodded his head, returning the greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Shisei?"

Kano smirked. "Why, I wanted to see your face of course."

"Of course," Raoul bowed courtly. "And the real reason?"

The other man got more serious, but a hint of a smile stayed on his lips.

"The offer I sent in response to your tender. I wanted to know what you think of it."

Kano's offer, oh yes, Raoul remembered. "We haven't yet decided about the offers, but I'll tell you what. Yours really drew my attention. I like it. I'm quite ready to accept it at this point. Although I would still like to discuss a few details with you."

Shisei's face lit up. "Great. That's exactly what I had in mind. How about a meeting then? On Tuesday?"

It was Friday, the meeting would be in five days. Raoul mentally reviewed his plans for that date and found that he had none.

"Tuesday would be fine."

"I'll make a reservation at Vultain's. Say, 17:00? I'm buying. I'd like to bring a friend with me, so how about a table for four? So that you could bring someone as well? We'll meet, talk, spend some nice time together, do business."

Raoul smiled. "It's alright with me."

Having settled that, they said goodbye to each other and disconnected. Raoul leaned back in his armchair and allowed himself to muse over it for a while. He was actually looking forward to the meeting. He liked Shisei Kano. The Platina was a valuable associate, and a nice person to talk to in general. And now, since the hacker problem seemed to have come to the dead end, there was no point in putting the rest of his business aside any longer. It was time to return things to their normal course. And the problem... maybe it was a false alarm after all. No one had tried to contact him regarding the matter, and all in all nothing terrible happened since the break in – for almost three weeks. And something should have happened, shouldn't it? Maybe the matter would die a natural death. In any case, it was time to go on.

* * *

The next few nights were heaven and hell.

Since the first time they had slept naked, they never went back to wearing their pajamas in bed. Raoul was true to his words and didn't try to force anything on Katze. Everything was exactly as it had been before with the little costume exception. Once the step had already been taken, Raoul saw no point in moving back. Nor did he want to.

Technically, it was the best arrangement. He was gaining from the situation as much as he could without breaking the rules. He was sleeping with another man in one bed, naked and cuddled up to him. He was just a tiny step from the line, but he didn't cross it. He could still consider himself law-abiding, he had not disgraced himself. It was convenient. Well, it should be.

Katze had no option but to bite the bullet. After a weak protest that first night, he'd never tried to complain. He accepted his fate silently and as night after night passed peacefully, he slowly relaxed again.

What Katze didn't know, was that the peace was only apparent. In his mind, Raoul wasn't peaceful at all. His thoughts were raging, taking nearly the same path every night.

Every single time he lay behind the dealer and their hips were so close, he had the same nagging idea in his mind. It was enough to make one move, to shift those few inches to be able sink into the sweet depths of Katze's body. To find out what it felt like, to discover the secret that tormented him. And now, without even the thin fabric of sleep-wear to separate them, this thought grew even stronger. He had everything at arm's length. He could try it at no cost. Nothing would stop him.

Nothing except for his own sense of morality and it was working at full force every night, trying to preserve Raoul's decency. Sex was disgraceful, he repeated to himself, recalling the phrases he'd been taught as a kid. Low, primitive, animal-like, carnal. It was the activity for lowlifes. He, a Blondie, should be above it.

But there was also another part of him, telling him that breaking the rules just once wouldn't be such a great tragedy after all. It wouldn't make him any more indecent than he already was. Decency wasn't only about one's actions, it was even more about the mind. And his mind was already corrupted. Finding an answer would calm him down. Crossing that line, engaging in that obscenity – just once – could in fact help his morality. It would bring relief, clear his mind of these obtrusive thoughts. And Katze would be just a tool in his hands, he would just use the mongrel for his needs and nothing more. It wouldn't really matter.

And besides, Iason reveled in this obscenity every night. And what? Nothing had happened. It didn't affect his cool mind at work, it didn't destroy his quick-witted, charming way with people. He didn't grow horns all of a sudden and didn't seem disgraced at all. If his social position suffered, it was only because the outside world couldn't accept the rumors of his misconduct, not because Iason himself changed. And Raoul would only do it once. After that he would stop, and he definitely wouldn't let anyone know about it.

Of course, he knew that there was another solution to his torment. He could just give all this up, make Katze wear his night clothes again, or even better – send him back to his room, to his _home_, and never let him close again. It would be safe, it would be reasonable and the thoughts would be gone after a while. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. So?

After coming to this conclusion he was almost ready a few times. He even prepared his hips to thrust, to make that little move that would cost him nothing. But no, he eventually always remained still. He was holding on to his tormented morality as tight as he could.

* * *

Katze really didn't understand why it was him Raoul had decided to take to the meeting.

"I mean, you should go with someone who knows the case, someone from the Center," he said when the Blondie had told him they were going out and on what occasion.

"I don't need anyone for business. I need company. It seems Kano first of all wants a nice evening together, and you'll be a much more interesting companion than any of my assistants."

The compliment made Katze smirk.

"I'm not an elite. I will stand out."

"Oh, stop whining, Katze." It was again the light-hearted Raoul Katze sometimes saw. "I want to show you off a little in a public place. I want everyone to see what a charming man I have at my side. Why shouldn't I?"

Show you off? Like you want to show off your new lover? Katze was again baffled by Raoul's attitude, but said nothing. It would eventually happen anyway. People would find out, one way or another, that there was a certain red-haired non-elite hanging around Raoul. Maybe some of them would even recognize him as the non-elite who'd been hanging around Iason before. Probably no one would suspect anything improper at first. They would, however, if Raoul decided to show him off more often.

And not that Katze minded eating at Vultain's, oh no! It was one of the most expensive, most exclusive restaurants in Tanagura. Although he could afford a dinner in such place, say, once a fortnight, with his poor furniture ID he wouldn't even get in the door. Not without his master. Though this particular fact was nothing unusual. Most Tanagura and Midas shops wouldn't serve someone without a citizen's identification card. And even at those few ones in Eos that did open their doors for furniture, eyebrows would be raised at a twenty-six year old man passing himself off as one.

It was funny, Katze sometimes thought. Most Eos furniture, after serving their time, received citizenship – with notification of their previous occupation of course, but still. It was the reward everybody waited for. To get out of the slum, to be able to start a normal life in Midas. Iason had been very cunning in the way he'd settled Katze's fate after discovering his offense. He'd made him his right hand in the black market, but never granted him permission to become a citizen. As much as it was a way to express his appreciation for Katze's talents, it was also another part of the punishment. Katze had more money and power than most Midas citizens, but he was bound to the underground markets. And to Iason.

Vultain's looked even better than he'd expected, immersed in an atmosphere of nice intimacy. The booths looked cozy, the tables were separated from each other by large plants and partitions. There were even more tables in the galleries hanging all around above the ground level.

"Sir Kano and his companion have already arrived," the furniture announced, having welcomed Raoul with flattery and bows. "Please, follow me."

He led them through the tables. Katze walked a step behind Raoul, carrying a briefcase with the Blondie's papers, casting furtive glances around and feeling immensely stupid. He wasn't sure how to behave. The restaurant's clientele was almost exclusively elite. He noticed only two people who looked like ordinary – though extremely well-off – citizens. Some of the guests had brought their pets along. Dressed in ridiculous, scant outfits, with their heads lowered humbly, the beautiful youngsters sat on pillows at their masters' feet. Katze also tried to keep his head low, although he had no idea if it was expected from him.

They passed through the great hall and entered a small passage with a few doors on either side. So, they were even going to dine in one of those private rooms. It was considered a sign of high status even among the elite. What an achievement for a humble mongrel like him.

Their guide showed them to the closest door on the right, bowed and removed his person silently. They went inside. The room was small, stylish, lit by soft, faint light. There were two sofas on the opposite sides of the oblong table, one of them – facing the entrance – occupied by two men. They rose as Raoul and Katze entred. One of the men was a Platina, the other one... Katze was at a loss to decide whether he was an elite or not.

"Raoul, it's so nice to see you," the Platina bowed his head, smiling. "A little more than two months since we last saw each other and I've already started missing you."

The Blondie smirked lightly. "It's nice to see you too, Shisei."

"This is Lucius Raimi," Kano turned his head towards his companion. "My business partner and dear friend."

"Lucius Raimi?" Raoul nodded, greeting the man. "I haven't heard the name before. You are not from Tanagura, are you?"

"Indeed, Mr. Am. I come from Daars."

"In my profession you have to travel a lot," Kano gave Raoul a disarming smile. "But hey," the smile widened as he moved his gaze to Katze, "introduce us to your companion."

"This is my assistant—" suddenly Raoul hesitated, but it was only a blink. "Katze."

The dealer smirked inwardly at hearing the Blondie's little stumble. Yeah, Katze, and that's it. As a mongrel and non-citizen he didn't even have a last name. Raoul must have forgotten about that little detail when he'd so craftily made up Katze's cover. But if the other two were in any way surprised by the vagueness of the introduction, they left it tactfully unspoken.

They exchanged the expected set of bows with Katze and finally sat down.

"Great," Kano said contentedly. "Since we're past the formalities, let's get something to eat."

They did. Kano and Raoul engaged in their business discussion. From time to time Lucius joined the conversation, as he was apparently involved in what the other two were plotting. Katze's part was limited to peeping into the briefcase on rare occasions when Raoul asked for one of the documents and handing him the right one or reading the demanded fragment. But on the whole he hardly understood a thing and didn't really try to.

Pushing the deliciously prepared food around on his plate and listening to the babble, he felt completely out of place. But since there wasn't much for him to do anyway, he took the time to have a good look at their dinner hosts.

They were both very beautiful, but that was hardly surprising. They were more or less Raoul's age, no more than thirty.

Kano had the most brilliant smile and was sharing it generously. His hair was pearly white and even more wavy than Raoul's. He wore it in an atypical fashion – gathered in an ornate silver clip that curved at the back of his head and held the locks in order behind his ears. The other man... now Katze understood why at first he couldn't tell if Lucius was an elite.

Daars was one of Amoi's few space colonies – the biggest one. But when you ignored the fact that to get there it was necessary to take a one-day trip by shuttle, it was in fact no different than any other city on the planet. All of Amoi's city-states, including the colonies, formed a Federation with Tanagura as its capital. They shared the same government, currency, language, and also system of social classes – each city had its elite who wielded power and ordinary inhabitants who were subjected to that power. But – as was natural – isolation caused every city to develop its own distinct customs. The division between the elite and the rest of humankind wasn't so strong in other cities as it was in Tanagura. The habit of keeping human pets, born in Tanagura, was by other cities openly condemned at first. Only later were their elites tempted to adopt it, but it never became as popular as it was here.

Fashion was also different. Lucius' hair was light blue and short – the latter made it possible to mistake him for a middle-class citizen at first. Also his clothes seemed more ordinary, compared to the suits worn by Tanagura's upper class. But he _was_ an elite, Katze didn't need as much as a second look to say that. He was tall, with a finely proportioned body and the kind of perfection in his features one could only see on elites' faces.

How ugly Katze himself must have looked sitting here with them, with his pale, too angular face and the scar on his cheek. He was aware that he wasn't the only one whose gaze made curious inquiries. He felt Lucius' snooping glances, licking his body now and again, when the man wasn't engaged in the conversation. He racked his brains for what the Sapphire was thinking. Had he guessed that Katze wasn't simply a non-elite – which was obvious, but something even lower?

He soon received his answer in the most undesirable form, when Raimi's eyes suddenly stopped on his wrist and the blue brows furrowed. The tag – it must have been visible from under his sleeve, Katze realized. He cursed inwardly and pretended not to notice anything. But as soon as the man's gaze left him, he shifted his position, taking the hand out of sight, trying to look absorbed in the conversation. He heard Lucius' quiet smirk.

"And the paragraph about me giving my recommendation to your new undertakings? What is that about?" Raoul asked.

"Well, it's a part of the project. I have a few plans I want to bring to life. I want to expand the Enterprises' influences to new fields. If my company grows more prosperous, you will also benefit from it. And your name could definitely help me. After all, you are called the second man of Tanagura. And in the field of biological science – the first one."

Raoul smiled at the flattery. "Every science has its first man, and none of those men is less important than I am. What puts me above them is in fact my friendship with Iason and nothing else. And your company _is_ prosperous, Shisei."

That was true. Katze remembered what Raoul had told him about Shisei Kano. The man was the owner of a huge company that provided scientific and medical centers with first-class equipment. His influence reached far beyond Tanagura, he had clients and partners in many cities on Amoi. Kano was considered a very skilled and very clever businessman. Very hard-working too. Perhaps he wasn't as powerful as Iason or Raoul, but he had nothing to complain about either. Platinas were, after all, just a step below Blondies.

"Still, your name works wonders, Raoul," Kano said and the corner of his mouth quirked up amiably. "And not only here in Tanagura, but also everywhere on the planet."

"Your praise is excessive," Raoul waved his hand dismissively, but it was clear that the compliment stroked the Blondie's ego. "But of course, I think it's a good idea. I will naturally need a prior insight in the ventures you will want me to recommend, and the discretion to withhold support if I don't like any of them, but otherwise I shall gladly vouch for you."

Kano gave Raoul his most endearing smile. "That will be wonderful. Thank you. The discretion goes without saying. And I will of course pay you for crediting me."

"Oh, that won't be necessary. I trust your good name. That's enough for me."

They continued like that for a few more minutes, until they finally decided everything was settled. Both were clearly satisfied with the agreement and shook hands, smiling. They arranged another meeting, this time in Raoul's office, to sign the contract. Then the conversation was turned to more general subjects. Lucius and Katze were finally given more attention. Still, the dealer intended to stay quiet. It would be very disrespectful if he spoke freely in such company.

"When you travel around the cities," Kano was saying, "you get a different view of things. Like those rules established by Jupiter. Nowhere else are they as strictly respected as here in Tanagura. And when you look at them from a different perspective, you really begin to find them weird, to say the least."

"Yes? Like what for instance?" Raoul's voice was only slightly challenging, most of all it was curious.

"The easiest example. Pets. Not that I have anything against keeping pets, I love them. But try to consider it with a clear mind. Don't you find it a little perverse? To keep humans as pets? I'll tell you what I think of it. It's displacement, nothing else. We are not allowed to have sex, that's why we so enjoy watching other humans doing it."

"From what you say, it would appear that in other cities elite do have sex," Raoul observed quite acutely.

Kano leaned over the table and gave them a speaking look. "It's still a kind of taboo," he said, his voice lowered conspiratorially, "but between the four of us, yes. It isn't very uncommon that in some cities, Daars for example, elites do indeed have pairing partners." He moved his gaze to his companion and his expression softened affectionately. Katze couldn't help the feeling that he did it deliberately. "Isn't that so, Lucius?"

Lucius smiled for the first time this evening, straight at Kano. "That's exactly how it is, Shisei."

Raoul looked as if he'd taken a hard blow to the head. He leaned back in his seat and stared at the other two wide-eyed.

"You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid they are, Raoul." Katze didn't know why he said that. Wasn't he supposed to keep quiet? But something in the shocked expression on the Blondie's face made it irresistible to join in.

Kano and Lucius finally let go of each other's eyes and shifted their gazes to him. Raoul shot him a glance as well.

"And how do _you_ know it?" he asked a little indignantly.

"I know a few people in Daars. In other cities as well." Katze allowed himself a look in Raoul's direction, but kept his head low to show that he was mindful of his inferiority. "I've heard the rumors."

"I see your friend is a man of the world," Kano said approvingly. "Have you traveled a lot, Katze?"

"No, not really, sir," the dealer gave him a polite smile. He was surprised that the Platina took an interest in what he'd said, instead of just ignoring him. "Actually, I hardly ever leave the city. I stay in contact with those people mainly through the net."

"Katze is not only my assistant," Raoul added. Katze glanced at him, hearing a strange note of pride in his voice. "He is also an independent businessman. Quite influential I would say. Though, he works mainly via his computer. He is extremely knowledgeable about terminals and programming."

"Then I guess he would find common ground with Lucius," Kano chuckled. "My friend here is the best computer expert I've known."

Lucius smiled. The beautiful ocean-blue eyes that went so perfectly with his hair fixed on Katze. "But tell us, Katze, you aren't an elite, are you? I saw a bracelet on your hand. Isn't that – forgive me if I offend you in any way – the tag worn by furniture?"

The tension that suddenly fell over the table was overwhelming. All the gazes focused on Katze again. Kano's perplexed, Lucius' smug, and Raoul's... lost, jumping from him to the Sapphire and back. The dealer swore inwardly. Damn that Blondie! It was his fault. It had been his whim to put the tag on Katze, it was he who wanted to drag a mongrel to such a place.

He lowered his head. What else could he do but to admit the truth?

"You don't offend me, sir, that's exactly what it is."

He shuddered at the sound of his voice. It was so hopeless, so... furniture-like.

Kano's brow rose. "You made your assistant out of furniture, Raoul? And—isn't he a bit too old for one?"

Raoul shook his head almost fervently. "It's not so simple, Shisei. Katze is a really clever, really talented man. When you see someone like that, it doesn't matter what his origins are. It would be a loss not to use those talents."

For a long moment the Platina studied Raoul seriously. Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.

"Oh, Raoul, I don't intend to question your motives or, Jupiter forefend, criticize you. We are all modern people here. We aren't prejudiced against someone just because of his origins. And if you find your red-haired friend talented, then I certainly trust your judgment. Especially," Kano winked knowingly at the Blondie, "that he is very good-looking."

Raoul fidgeted uneasily in his seat and Katze felt a hot blush creep up his cheeks. Kano chuckled again, and suddenly the dealer got the feeling that the man before him was none other than Iason.

The conversation was then directed to the safer topics. This time Katze was determined to keep his mouth shut. Talking did him no good, apparently. But Kano didn't seem to agree with this decision. He addressed himself to Katze, asked him questions. It was clear that he tried to involve the dealer in the conversation. And although his gaze was somewhat condescending and his voice slightly mocking, Katze was far from holding a grudge. How else would an elite talk to a mongrel, after all? It was an honor that he talked to him at all.

Affectionate gazes and little smiles flew back and forth between Shisei and Lucius. Their hands touched seemingly by accident now and again. It was quite obvious that those two were intimate. And they didn't really try to hide it. Quite the opposite, they were pretty demonstrative. Watching them, Katze suddenly remembered Raoul's words from earlier that evening. _I want to show you off a little._

Raoul seemed to have noticed that as well. At first he looked anxious, watching the two men with a frown. But as the time passed, he calmed down. And since neither of their companions had a problem with having a mongrel at the table, he relaxed even more and actually seemed pleased with the situation. Katze caught his glance a few times and the Blondie smiled at him. Strangely enough, those smiles were anything but condescending.

Two hours later they rose from the table amidst small talk and laughter.

"I plan to throw a party to celebrate our new deal," Kano said. "In about three weeks, I'd say, when everything is sewn up. I'm going to invite the city's upper echelon. They'll be welcome to bring their pets, so maybe we'll even arrange a little performance. And you, I suppose, would like to have your lovely assistant with you."

The hint was even too clear. Katze shivered with unease, but Raoul only smiled.

"I'd love to bring him, thank you."

* * *

In the car Raoul closed his eyes and exhaled, leaning his head against the backrest. Katze was behind the wheel. There had to be something about the redhead driving a car, since both he and Iason liked to use his services as a chauffeur even though their limos were equipped with automatic drivers.

He didn't want to sit in the back, so he settled himself next to the dealer. Listening to the quiet hum of the engine, he let his mind replay the scenes of the meeting. Damn, he was confused. He might be not very apt at reading body language and completely inexperienced in the field of human courtship, but he was not blind or stupid. And what he'd seen and heard this evening skewed his view of things completely. He was surprised that he'd still enjoyed himself in spite of that. Or maybe... because of that?

"Tell me, Katze," he spoke on impulse. "I wasn't mistaken with what I saw. They are a couple, aren't they?"

"I guess so," the mongrel answered. "Quite showy with it too."

"So I thought."

So, Shisei Kano had a lover. So, a whole lot of elite in other cities had lovers. Strangely, the latter didn't shake him as much as the former. What happened in other cities didn't matter. They were far away, separated from Tanagura by miles of desert. They were minor. He took their different codes of conduct for granted, so even breaking that restriction by some of the elites wasn't that surprising. And anyway, what did he care? He didn't know those people.

But he knew Kano. Kano was from Tanagura. And suddenly the thought of him having a pairing partner brought an unexpected reflection. Who else? Before, he'd been convinced that Iason was the only deviant in the city. Now he suddenly doubted that his friend... and Kano... were so exceptional. There had to be some others. If there was a rule to be broken, someone would do so. It hardly seemed possible that only one person would be tempted. Maybe Raoul was in fact ludicrous sticking to his decency so much. And if that was so – he cast a sidelong glance at Katze – well, he wouldn't be ludicrous anymore.

* * *

Katze had just started to doze off, when he suddenly felt a stir behind him. The Blondie moved closer, loosening the grip of his arms, and then... Katze tensed. There was something disturbing about this motion, it was as if Raoul was getting ready to... No, it couldn't be that.

But that's exactly what it was.

The hand steadied his hips and the thick erection forced its way between his buttocks, pressing to that very particular spot... On no!

He yanked abruptly, freeing himself from the Blondie's grip and jumped out of bed on pure reflex, before Raoul had time to stop him.

"No!" he exhaled. "You can't!"

Raoul looked actually a bit confused, probably surprised that Katze had managed to escape him. He blinked, but than his features hardened.

"I can't what?"

You can't do that to me! – Katze shouted in his mind. You weren't supposed to be interested in that. You promised! But of course he knew the Blondie had never made any promises. And even if he had, nothing obliged him to keep his word to a mongrel. Why, Raoul apparently hadn't even seen the need to inform him what he was going to do, he just started doing it. As if Katze was some inanimate thing with no feelings and thoughts. The dealer closed his eyes, remembering all those times he'd tried to convince the Blondie not to do something. He sighed, resigned.

"You can't do it like that," he breathed. "With your size you will all but tear me. At least..." he swallowed, "let me prepare myself."

"Prepare?" Raoul raised his brows. "What do you mean prepare?"

"Prepare, you know, lubrication, those things."

"Ah," the Blondie nodded. "Right."

It was funny, Raoul suddenly realized that the thought of preparations had never occurred to him before. All his thinking about sex – during those last nights, and even now, when he'd made his final decision – was completely devoid of such practicality. Of course, he was aware that such things required preparations. He knew that pets were thoroughly taken care of before the shows. But those prosaic actions were always kept out of spectators' eyes, backstage. He never had to think about them while watching the performance. And now the mundane reality seemed a bit disturbing.

"How long will it take you?" he asked.

"Not long. A few minutes."

"Then go. And be back here quickly."

Katze watched him for a few seconds, hesitating, as if he wanted to say something. But then he said nothing. He just hung his head and went to the bathroom.

* * *

He wanted to scream, he wanted to run, he was even stupid enough to walk to the window and look out. Right... just to see what he'd already seen dozens of times. Hundredth floor, and very hard ground some two thousand feet below. And even though there was a thin ledge outside along the wall, he knew there was in fact no way out of here. No, he could only get out through the door, straight into Raoul's hands. So Katze just sat down at the edge of the bathtub and, feeling as though a powerful hand were clenched around his throat, reached for a bottle of some scented oil.

With his own hands, of his own volition, he started to prepare his body to be raped.

* * *

Raoul ordered him to lie down just as he'd been lying before. And when he did, the Blondie's arms immediately came around him.

"Tell me what to do."

For a moment Katze couldn't believe what he was hearing. He snorted angrily.

"You are the biologist here, you watched pets screwing plenty of times and you tell me you don't know what to do?"

Raoul's grip tightened abruptly. The hands pressed painfully into Katze's stomach.

"Don't mock me, Katze," the Blondie hissed. "What I know is that it's easy to hurt someone during sex. I'm not sure how to do it without hurting you. So guide me for your own good."

Katze clenched his teeth. Raoul didn't want to hurt him. Fuckin' hypocrite. Didn't he know he was hurting him already?

"Go slowly," he said. It was so hard to force those words through his throat when he in fact wanted nothing more than to scream 'just let go of me!' But his voice was even. And he continued. "Only as much as you can go with one thrust. Wait until I tell you I'm ready for more."

Dammit, this was ridiculous! He was the abused party here. And he was supposed to instruct his abuser? Damn it! Damn it!

"Very well." Raoul easily adjusted him in his arms and repositioned himself. Katze winced, feeling the blunt tip at his entrance again. The Blondie didn't linger, he pushed, forcing himself inside, and Katze hissed. Hell, it hurt. It hurt more than he had expected. It had been ages since he'd been with anyone. No one had touched him since he'd become a furniture... for more than eleven years.

"Are you okay?" he heard Raoul's voice from behind.

"Yeah." No! He wasn't okay. How was he supposed to be okay when something so enormous was pushing inside him... and it wasn't Iason. But he didn't feel like arguing with Raoul. He didn't feel up to it.

"Very well, I'm waiting for you."

They lay still for several seconds, then the pain started to subside. Katze braced himself, fighting a wave of nausea.

"Alright. Try it again."

Another thrust. Another wave of pain. Another few seconds in silence. Strangely, Raoul was really doing as Katze instructed and didn't seem impatient.

They proceeded slowly like this. It still hurt, Katze didn't think it would stop hurting so easily after all those years, but after the first few minutes the pain was much less. He could bear it. Finally Raoul pushed one last time and slipped into Katze to the hilt. He sighed deeply.

"Oooh. That feels incredible."

For you, maybe.

"May we proceed? I don't think I can wait any longer."

"Yeah, go ahead. Let's get it over with."

Raoul ignored the rudeness. He started thrusting rhythmically. Just as he had seen it at the pet shows, just as he remembered from his own little experience. Having another person around made him a bit self-conscious, he really didn't want to make Katze hurt. But at the same time it was so exciting. Someone could actually feel what he was doing. He was doing it _to_ someone. He could hold this someone, feel this someone. And the mere physical sensation really was different. There was no exaggeration in Iason's words. It was a completely new kind of feeling, it was... exquisite.

He buried his face in the crook of Katze's neck. The mongrel seemed so stiff in his arms, but at the moment he didn't care. He inhaled Katze's scent, savored the red hair tickling his cheek. He shifted his hand over Katze's chest... Jupiter, he was really doing it. He was having sex! The thought sent him over the edge. He thrust one last time and tensed, caught by orgasmic bliss. Next to him, Katze gave a short, quiet sniff.

Raoul closed his eyes, relaxing slowly. He stayed inside Katze, he didn't want to draw back just yet. The dealer breathed deeply in his embrace and he relished the feeling of that little movement beside him. He waited for the familiar wave of remorse, but strangely, it wasn't coming.

"Did it hurt much?" he asked into Katze's heated skin.

"Some. Not very much."

"Are you mad at me?"

This time the silence was longer.

"You said you wouldn't do it."

"I know."

He finally pulled out, instantly becoming aware of the sticky dampness of his skin down there. Only now did this thought repulse him. Well, he'd taken it into account before he started the whole thing. He had to deal with it now.

Katze squirmed in his grip.

"If you don't want me to stain your precious silken sheets, better let me go. I have to clean myself." This time the anger was clear in the dealer's voice.

The bitter, prosaic words struck Raoul all of a sudden. This too was never let to the public eye during pet shows. And no, he didn't want his precious silken sheets stained. He let his hand unclench, and the mongrel freed himself immediately, almost jumping out of bed. So disgusted with me, huh? Raoul felt his teeth clench with an involuntary pang of pain.

"Just be back here in a minute," he commanded.

The redhead's grim glance met his. "And where the hell else could I go?"

* * *

When Katze left the bathroom, Raoul had already calmed his breath. He lay on his back, staring at the canopy with unmoving, slightly dazed eyes.

Feeling like in some strange stupor, Katze laid down beside him. For a while he was silent, then decided that if he didn't say something, he'd kick himself for it later.

"So, the great Blondie stooped to the level of a low-class human."

He only cringed, catching an abrupt movement beside him, he didn't think he would escape it anyway. The Blondie's hand grabbed his chin, forcing his head to turn, pulling it up. Raoul bent over him with an implacable expression on his face.

"I don't see a reason to justify myself to you," he said in his usual, cool voice.

Katze's jaw clenched. "Sure, I'm just a mongrel. A toy. Right?"

For a split second it seemed to him that something in the Blondie's face twitched.

"You know full well that's not how I treat you. If I saw you as someone so low, I wouldn't have bothered with you in the first place. Still, _I_ am the master here. Don't you forget it, Katze."

Katze angrily yanked out of the grip and strangely Raoul didn't try to get hold of him again.

"Turn on your side," came the quiet, but firm order.

He did as he was told without another word. The Blondie moved closer as if nothing had ever happened. He wrapped his arms around Katze like every night before.

"You belong to me now," he whispered more softly. "I took you tonight and I will take you again whenever I feel like it."

Katze shut his eyes tightly. Why the hell did he feel like a traitor? Iason, Iason, Iason. Why isn't it you? Why... Yeah sure, go on whining, you idiot. That you betrayed someone who sold you without so much as a second thought.

Katze swallowed, hating Raoul's embrace more than ever. Iason, Iason, Iason...


	5. Chapter 5

(Language corrections by Shayne and Phaedra7veils.)

**Chapter 5**

With a trembling hand Katze brought the lighter to his face and watched impassively as the flame licked the end of a cigarette. He welcomed fresh smoke in his lungs and moved his gaze to the screen. A computing program was running some minor black market calculations. Anything important, anything urgent and most of all anything he cared. But it was good at the moment as it didn't require his participation. He doubted he would be able to work today. He doubted he would be able to do anything productive today. He just didn't want to stare at the blank screen.

He was still shaking after this sorrowful night. He'd been shaking all the morning – since he'd fled Raoul's bedroom just after waking up. Damn, he'd been so stupid! He'd been so stupid trusting the Blondie. How could he have ever believed it would not happen? It'd been heading straight that way from the very beginning.

People, as they say, always want more. Give them an inch and they'll take a mile.

Katze had many opportunities to find out that it was true. Still, he'd believed Raoul. Or rather – he'd been able to adapt to every new situation the Blondie created, to relax after every step further into intimacy. Well, they also say that people can get used to everything.

Katze was positive that he wouldn't get used to _this_ new situation. Wrong. He hoped it wouldn't develop into a situation at all. With any luck it was just one time episode that would never happen again. After all, Raoul must be disappointed. It wasn't any great piece of sex and Katze wasn't making things easier either. But then, the Blondie didn't have any basis for comparison, either.

He almost jumped when the door swooshed open. He felt his hand clench into a fist. Damn, couldn't the bastard leave him alone? He heard steps approaching him and froze. What now? Would Raoul start scolding him for leaving the bed? Would he rape him again? Katze shuddered.

"You didn't come for breakfast," Raoul said.

"No," he heard his own voice, low and hostile.

"It is waiting for you in the kitchen."

Katze wondered if 'I'm not hungry' would sound too dramatic. Probably. But it was true, he wasn't hungry.

"Alright," he said flatly.

For a long moment there was silence. Raoul was still standing behind him, his presence in the room making the atmosphere dense and heavy. Finally the Blondie spoke again.

"Listen, if you don't want to see me, I just wanted to tell you that I'm leaving. I'm going to the Center and I'll stay there as usual. So you are free to come out and do whatever you wish without bumping into me."

Something in those words made Katze turn and finally look at the Blondie. He saw Raoul's face, calm as always. But heavy concern in the elite's eyes almost knocked him back in his seat. Still, as their gazes met, the beautiful lips curved in a little smile.

"And I'd advise you to eat that breakfast," the Blondie added softly. "Reo really did his best this morning."

Katze stared at him silently. There was nothing sensible he could say at something like this. And after a while Raoul's smile faded.

"Katze. I can imagine you are mad at me. Of course, you have the right to be. Still, I would like us to come to terms somehow. I want it to be alright between us."

For a moment the dealer was still gazing at him.

"Will you do it again?" he asked.

Raoul frowned, surprised. "What?"

"I asked: will you do it again. What you did to me in the night."

The Blondie sighed. "We've already discussed it, haven't we?" But the words didn't hit the masterful tone from the night. Instead they sounded with strange resignation. "I really don't know, Katze. It's possible. I'm aware that I shouldn't, but the problem is that I liked it. And the even greater problem is that I don't feel any remorse."

It was true. Raoul had been mulling it over in his mind all the morning. Save for the short feeling of disgust just after... the act, he really didn't have any regrets about what happened. As if having sex with a castrated mongrel, a former furniture, was something absolutely right. Of course it wasn't. It was a much greater offence than playing with himself, but it didn't feel like it. It felt right to be with Katze. It felt right to be _in_ Katze. Whatever Katze might have thought about it.

"Look," Raoul took up, "as much as you may find it hard to believe it, I very much appreciate your company. And I don't mean just bed here, but... the general. I'd be glad if you could... put the bed issue aside. You might hate it, that's your choice, but please, don't hate the days with me. That is all I am asking."

For a moment Katze was still in his chair, cigarette dangling from the corner of his parted lips, gaze glued to the Blondie. Then he leapt up and suddenly was just inches away from Raoul, eyes gleaming dangerously.

"You fucked me senseless last night," he drawled. "You didn't ask my opinion. You didn't even warn me with a single word! As if I were some fuckin' sex doll! You did it against my will!! And now you come here with your shameless sincerity and you want to make peace with me?! What the hell are you thinking?! What do you mean put it aside?! Fuck you, Raoul!"

Raoul eyed the infuriated man silently. Incredible. The mongrel was yelling at him. The mongrel was actually telling him off! He knew he should do something. Slap the mongrel, put him down with some sharp word at least. But he didn't feel like doing it. Instead, he suddenly felt like laughing. Not that there was anything funny in Katze's menacing glance, not that the dealer didn't seem dangerous in his anger. He did and Raoul remembered their first evening together very well. But he was suddenly flooded with relief. He realized what he'd been afraid of all morning. He'd feared to see Katze scared of him, restrained, he would be most unhappy to have the dealer cringing in his presence. Fortunately everything seemed to be all right with that. And if that was so, nothing else mattered. Raoul smiled.

"It will be all right. Somehow."

Katze froze in front of him, perplexed. A wicked idea flashed in Raoul's head.

"And mind me, we're playing chess in the evening."

"Fuck you!" There was stunned indignation in the dealer's voice.

Raoul suppressed a little chuckle. It would madden Katze even more.

"Oh yes, we are."

With that he turned to leave. He was already at the door when he heard Katze slump heavily in his chair.

* * *

They did play chess in the evening.

When Raoul came back from work, he ordered Katze to come out of his room, sat him down and said firmly: 'we play'. And then, all evening, he proceeded to be the Raoul Katze had already come to know quite well. Spoiled, haughty, arrogant, but also amusing, sharp-minded, charming. He didn't try to entice Katze with sweet words and fake promises he had no intention of keeping, instead he used the same unnerving frankness as in the morning.

'You must understand it's my right to do as I please with you.'

'Oh, come on, Katze, I don't mean any harm.'

'I'm glad that you are a match for me in so many respects.'

'Punish you? No, no, how could I? Not you. It's just... unthinkable.'

Katze had to admit that as much as this attitude was infuriating, it was also in a way... alluring. He couldn't help it when at some moment his anger started to fade. He still felt sulky, but little by little he started speaking with Raoul the way he always did. And finally, he was sulkily enjoying the evening.

Of course he wasn't fooled, he never forgot what might happen in the night. And when it did happen, he hated it no less than the night before. But at least there was no longer that strident hostility between them. Some of the things Raoul had said during the evening lingered in Katze's memory even while he was being fucked. And it made things a little bit more tolerable.

* * *

The days went by, scheduled similarly. They spent them separately – Raoul usually in the Center, Katze running his business in front of the terminal or, rarely, in town. Running it hastily and starting early in the morning, because he knew he wouldn't have time for it in the evening. Strangely, those few hours taken out of his usual sixteen-hour working day didn't make much difference. Pressed by time, he worked more efficiently than before (he didn't know it was possible) and somehow managed to push the business forward.

And then there were evenings. In the evenings Raoul always demanded Katze's company and of course the dealer was in no position to refuse. They usually played chess or some other game. A few times the Blondie tried to draw Katze into one of those elite-favored intellectual discussions. And a few times he took him out. To the gallery, to the restaurant, to the theatre... Suddenly Katze found himself immersed in the fullness of Tanagura's cultural life. He wondered how soon the rumors would start to spread. He had already noticed a few curious, not very welcoming glances. But well, what did he care? It was Raoul's problem not his. And Raoul didn't seem to care either.

"Iason came up with the same idea once," he said one day when they were driving back home from the opera.

Raoul looked at him. "What idea?"

"To try to win Riki by spending time with him, not only screwing him."

The Blondie winced with slight irritation. "Hey, watch your language."

Katze shrugged and didn't say anything more. For a few moments there was silence in the car.

"So what was this idea?" Raoul's curiosity took the better of him. "Did he ask him out?"

An involuntary smile found its way to Katze's face and he quickly looked away to hide it.

"No, actually he demanded to _be_ asked out. He wanted Riki to take him to one of those Midas bars the brat usually visits."

Raoul blinked. "You're kidding."

"Nope."

He wasn't kidding. As much as it sounded ridiculous, it was the plain truth. Another of Iason's concessions to his pet. When it came to Riki, the head of Tanagura was a fountain of crazy ideas.

"But they would recognize him," Raoul pointed out. "Everyone in the bar would get scared. It wouldn't work."

"He went in disguise. Put on some Midas clothes and a wig. He had fun or that's what he told me. They met some of Riki's black market friends. They even taught Iason to play some Midas card games. Afterwards he invited me to his place a few times. They needed a third player."

Raoul frowned, considering Katze's words for a moment. "That's what you were doing when I came that day with the hacker case! I saw cards on the table." He seemed quite agitated with the discovery.

Katze allowed himself a smirk – one, short and quiet. Too much good humor with his tormentor wouldn't be appropriate.

"People do many strange things to impress the ones they care for."

"That bastard told me he was discussing some black market issues with you," Raoul murmured with indignation. And when Katze passed it over in silence, he mused: "Maybe I should do the same. Ask you to take me to your places instead of dragging you around my world."

Katze felt his brows quirk up. "Don't."

"Why?"

"Because. I don't usually visit places. Not even those where they would serve me. Besides," he added, casting a sidelong glance at Raoul, "it wouldn't work with me."

But it was working. Otherwise he would have never had this talk with Raoul. He tried, really tried to give the Blondie the cold shoulder, but no one can sulk forever. Especially when there is someone around you, who for some reason has made you the center of their interests.

It was so completely different from anything Katze had ever known. It wasn't supposed to be like that. Raoul was supposed to be bored by now, it had already been more then a month since this whole thing had begun. But the Blondie didn't show any signs of boredom. On the contrary – he seemed more and more eager to continue this arrangement. And it was making Katze scared.

As ridiculous as it seemed, Raoul's words had come true to the letter. Katze could hate what the Blondie did to him in the night, but somehow, during the day, it didn't disturb the fact that he simply enjoyed spending time with Raoul. And that was maybe even scarier.

* * *

Raoul leaned forward to examine the chessboard more closely. He frowned thoughtfully, but a little smile never left his face.

"Hm..." he purred. "I admit it was a nice move, Katze."

Katze didn't think so. In a minute Raoul would find a way to counter his attack. A way Katze certainly wouldn't be able to counter that easily. Although they played chess nearly every evening these days, Katze was still a considerably worse player than the Blondie.

He watched the beautiful man opposite him sullenly. Raoul's eyes narrowed and his smile widened.

"Ah, I know."

Here we go.

The elite moved his hand over the white knight and shifted it in a seemingly innocent move, not even taking any of Katze's figures. Not so innocent, the dealer realized, when he saw what would follow. Now he could take the knight – and reveal his queen, or leave it, but in the next two moves it would check his king. Now _that_ was a nice move. Katze winced unhappily and reluctantly leaned over the board.

However, before he had a chance to think, a comm unit beeped in the room. He heaved a silent sigh of relief. Raoul, on his part, looked displeased.

"Now what is it?" the Blondie murmured. His eyes shifted to Katze as if seeking an answer there.

He punched a little button on the underside of the table. A little rectangular flap in the tabletop moved aside, revealing a recess hidden underneath. A small screen emerged from the inside, coming into the upright position. The comm unit was conveniently built into the table, so that, if the Blondie received a call, say, during a chess game, he didn't have to get up.

Raoul pressed another button and the monitor rotated a few degrees to face him. Still, Katze could see the man that appeared on-screen, a Jade dressed in a lab coat.

"What is it, Grant?" the Blondie asked. His voice was now completely different. Firm, emotionless, business-like, exactly the voice an elite of the highest rank should use with his inferiors. Katze suddenly realized how rarely Raoul used this voice with him.

The man gave his boss a little nod of greeting.

"There has been a problem with breed A-5447, sir," he reported. "We've just discovered that five specimens in the collection are flawed."

Raoul frowned. "A-5447? Those red-haired green-eyed ones ordered by the Academy?"

"That's right, sir."

"What's wrong with them?"

"Some sort of mental disorder." Grant cast a short sidelong glance at Katze, looking a bit disturbed with an unexpected witness to the conversation.

"Go on," Raoul prompted.

The Jade cleared his throat. "There are some serious irregularities in their brainwaves. We are sure the abnormality appeared just lately. We put the pets in question through further tests and it seems they are pretty much handicapped in many respects."

Raoul studied his subordinate with a grim expression. "From what I remember this breed is almost three years old. The awakening is scheduled in... how long? Five months?" Grant nodded. "In five months those pets should be ready to be handed over to the Academy. Why haven't you noticed the problem before?"

"I... we suspect it's one of those unspecified disorders that become active at certain age. I assure you, until now everything looked just fine."

"Even those disorders are possible to detect in advance if all necessary measures are taken," Raoul observed coldly.

"Yes. But you know we can't run all the tests for all pets. It just wouldn't be worth the trouble."

"You should know all possible dangers with every particular breed. You should be able to _assess_ what tests are necessary. And I shouldn't need to remind it to you," Raoul drawled.

The man was practically sweating now.

"We were positive we assessed that correctly with A-5447, sir. I'm truly sorry we didn't."

Katze glanced at Raoul's frowning face curiously. He knew more or less how scientific centers handled bringing up young pets. Taking regular care of them would change the labs into huge kindergartens and no one needed that. Thus the toddlers were kept in special growth chambers until they reached the required age. For the outward world it looked as if they were sleeping, but it wasn't truth. Their consciousness was immersed in virtual realms that helped them develop all basic concepts, social and language skills kids their age should have. It was cheaper and easier than normal maintenance. But it also limited observation to numbers and charts on the life support apparatus. That's why it was quite easy to overlook would-be abnormalities.

Raoul gave out an exasperated sigh. "What do you think can be done with them? Are they fit enough to be sold to some Midas club?"

"Two of them should do. The other three... well, physically they are perfectly okay, but to be honest, sir, I don't think they are fit for anything."

For a moment Raoul looked at Grant sternly. "All right then. Keep those two, apply the growth speeder – anything you'll find suitable. We don't want to bother with them too long. In due time we'll try to find a buyer for them. As for the other three," a minimal pause, "put them to sleep."

With that Raoul cut the connection without waiting for an answer. The screen glided down into its shelter in the table and the flap slid shut.

"Morons," the Blondie growled under his breath. He leaned back on the sofa and wrapped his arms around himself. For a long moment there was silence in the room. Katze eyed him from his place.

"Does it happen often?" he finally risked asking.

The Blondie moved his eyes to him. His expression softened a bit. "Sometimes. It's not very unusual. When you tamper with the genome it's quite likely that in some of the breeds there will be some flawed specimens. Oversights like this also happen, if that's what you're asking. We are growing a few thousands of pets at all times. It's practically impossible to avoid mistakes."

"And that's what you do when you discover something's wrong? Put them to sleep?"

Raoul shrugged. He half closed his eyes, looking slightly impatient.

"And what else can we do?"

Katze just nodded, acknowledging the answer. Indeed, what else?

On Amoi pets' life meant nothing. They were no more than a commodity people used to make money and from which they derived pleasure. When they outlived their time as pets, they were sold to Midas brothels where they usually died after a few years of such life. If one of them got sick – so sick that medical treatment would mean more trouble and expenses than it paid – their owners didn't hesitate to dispose of them by putting them to sleep.

It was the normal, absolutely legal course of action and no one got sentimental over pets' lost lives. Katze always took it for granted. After all, how many pets could an owner put to sleep in their life? One, maybe two – when someone was extremely unlucky with pets, but mostly – none. Those cloned youths were usually in great health. Terminating a few pets every now and then was a whole another story and suddenly Katze felt uneasy. Or was it maybe because now he sometimes felt like a pet himself?

"They are humans, you know," he murmured.

"They are pets," Raoul countered in a hard tone.

"They are _human_ pets."

The Blondie looked at him with irritation. "No one will want them, Katze, not even for free, and they are completely unable to live on their own. What am I supposed to do? Run a shelter for sick and flawed?"

"No, I guess not."

"I'm a biologist in Jupiter's name, that's all I've ever cared to be. But I am aware that science isn't the most important thing in the pet business. Money, that's what really matters. I have to go with that."

Katze watched him silently, he didn't know what to say.

"And you should know it," Raoul added. "You are in that business too."

"I do know it," Katze admitted and suddenly felt like a rotten bastard.

* * *

Raoul had little imagination when it came to sex. He never used too much in the way of caresses, he limited his actions to the main event, holding Katze close in his iron embrace. Sometimes he only kissed him, or rather – planted short little kisses on what he could find under his lips at the moment – usually Katze's neck or shoulders. He used only two positions. Either they were lying on their sides, Raoul behind Katze, or the most classic one – Katze on his back, Raoul over him.

Physically it wasn't all that bad – one couldn't say that it was unpleasant. Raoul was always gentle and careful, and after those initial few times it didn't hurt anymore. Although Katze couldn't climax, his prostate gland worked pretty well and he was getting some pleasure out of it. The kisses weren't bad either. But maybe it would have been better if they were. If it did hurt. Maybe then, giving himself to Raoul, he wouldn't have felt so bloody awful.

Every time his body was being used, the act brought so much muffled anger – at Raoul, at himself, at the situation; so many unbearable, yearning thoughts of Iason, that he could hardly stand it. Every time he wanted to scream. Or – much better – smash something. Raoul's nose, preferably.

But as night after night passed, he learned to deal with his emotions. It quickly became a kind of routine. He closed his eyes or fixed them on some relatively interesting spot in his sight, if he was lying on his back he put his arms around the Blondie (well, where else could he put them?), and waited. He shuddered with jolts of unwanted pleasure when Raoul hit his prostate. Not that the Blondie cared to hit it, but it happened now and then by accident. He tried to block all his thoughts until Raoul was through with him. And usually he was through after no more than ten minutes. Also, although Raoul showed interest in sex every night, he never showed it twice a night. One time was absolutely enough to satisfy his desires. And ten minutes around the clock wasn't that much after all, Katze could bear it. Soon the word 'rape' in his private glossary concerning sleeping with Raoul was replaced by 'duty'. It was more like it, after all.

So all in all Raoul wasn't a great performer in bed. And Katze felt neither competent nor eager for more of his favors to try to change matters.

Usually when the night was over, it quickly melted in one with other nights. They all looked more or less the same. One time, however, Katze found hard to forget. Raoul was just starting to thrust behind him, when suddenly he stopped and Katze felt him lean close to his ear. He heard a soft whisper.

"If you feel very bad with me, you can always imagine that it's Iason."

There was no anger, no resentment in these words, they were a simple statement. Katze drew in his breath, his eyes snapping open. And then Raoul was again moving behind him as if nothing had happened. Katze didn't know why it touched him so, but he suddenly reached for Raoul's hands and closed his around them. As if on cue, those strong arms pulled him even closer. Raoul's face huddled to his shoulder. The Blondie quickly reached completion and for once Katze didn't mind.

People, as they say, can get used to everything.

* * *

There were as always quite a few people in the lounge of the main tower of Eos. The soft murmur of human voices hung in the air, creating a nice atmosphere of the place. Iason looked into the green eyes of the man sitting across the table from him.

"Come on, Raoul, you were so insistent to meet with me and now you're all tongue-tied. Spit it out already."

The other Blondie swallowed and fixed his gaze on his drink. Iason eyed him curiously. It was clear that Raoul was nervous about something. To an outside person his expressions would probably be scant or none, but Iason knew better. It was quite disconcerting actually, as it seemed that lately his friend had some problem controlling his emotions.

The biologist took another moment of brooding and hesitating, but finally he looked up.

"I started taking Katze," he said.

Iason braced himself to keep his face straight.

"Oh. You mean you had sex with him?"

Raoul nodded. Although his cheeks were a faint color of pink, having said this, he seemed to have relaxed.

"And... you took him more than once?"

"I've been taking him every night for over two weeks."

Iason drew in his breath, feeling his stomach churn with strange excitement.

"So, it got through to you finally."

"You didn't say it was so addictive." Raoul's gaze was almost reproachful. "At first I was going to try it just once. But then... there was the second night and the third one, and the next, and finally I gave up telling myself that I would end it." He smirked with a hint of bitterness. "I couldn't keep quiet about it any longer. I had to tell somebody. Somebody who would understand."

"So, you like it."

Raoul gave him a very meaningful look. Iason smiled.

So, the very thing he'd been expecting from the beginning had finally happened. Or... had he expected it? Wasn't he supposed to have fun watching Raoul breaking into the abyss of depravity? He was, but somehow now, when he'd heard the news, he discovered that he was... surprised. Maybe he hadn't believed his friend would break, after all. Maybe he hadn't expected it would go that far. Interesting. Katze, an object of sexual desires. Katze regularly taken by somebody. At first it seemed ridiculous. On second thought—

"With all due respect, Raoul," he offered, "I wonder what satisfaction you can get from Katze. He can't even feel what you are doing to him. He can't... react to that. You receive no feedback to your actions."

"So?" Raoul looked surprised. "What's wrong about it? I don't mind that."

"You don't mind?"

"No, actually I think it's a good part."

Iason raised his brows, astonished. "Why?"

Raoul's eyes darkened and lost their focus. As if they were seeing something completely different than the lounge when the Blondie started to speak. "To see him, lying like that beneath you... He can hardly feel any pleasure, but he is there, he holds you with his arms, he opens his legs for you, he endures everything you do to him and doesn't complain. It makes me feel... important. Being a boss of the whole TBC doesn't make me feel so important as this simple thing. He gets nothing out of this, it's all for me. He does it for me. Even if he doesn't like it. I love the thought of him surrendering to me like that."

Iason's eyes flashed with genuine interest.

"I admit I haven't thought about it," he murmured and then laughed softly, leaning back in his seat. "You know, Raoul, you've become a pervert."

For a moment Iason felt as if he'd just seen the light.

* * *

Katze switched the computer off.

"Time for a fuck."

He sighed at these words. They still sounded so strange in his lips.

He took the last drag of his smoke, then put it out and got up from his chair. He went to the bathroom, prepared himself quickly and left the room clad in his pajamas. He was passing the great hall when a thin voice reached him.

"Mr. Katze!"

He stopped, looked around. Reo. Standing in the kitchen door.

"Mr. Katze, sir," the furniture called him again, hesitantly.

Silently, he moved towards the boy. Reo retreated two steps into the kitchen and Katze stopped at the threshold, taking a quick peek inside. Three pots sat on the stove, bubbling with steam, there were some dishes in the sink and the remnants of food on the cupboard. Reo must have been well behind with his daily chores. Usually at this hour he would be in his room, long off-duty.

"What is it?" the dealer asked.

The furniture looked at him with strange eyes. "It's true, isn't it? You _are_ with him."

What!? Of all the things Katze had expected Reo to say, this was maybe the last one. What made the kid ask such a question? Really, didn't he know? Was there any chance that by now he still had any doubts?

Even if, it wasn't furniture's place to ask something like this and for a moment Katze was angered by the boy's audacity. He wanted to spit: 'That's none of your business.' But then he saw expectation in those eyes. And he understood. He suddenly remembered himself those ten years ago and guessed what the boy was thinking. The anger instantly dissipated. He forced himself to smile.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So there is hope for us. We can still be happy with someone."

'We' referred to furniture. Of course by now Reo also knew who the condo's new resident had once been. And he simply couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Katze suppressed an urge to roll his eyes. Stupid kid with his stupid wishes. And why the hell did he think Katze was happy? Katze was anything but happy.

But he didn't stop smiling.

"Sure we can," he said and was rewarded by Reo's most brilliant grin. He shook his head exasperatedly. "Don't stay up too long, Reo. Good night."

He turned and left not waiting for an answer, but heard it nevertheless.

"I won't. Thanks. Good night, sir." Bright, cheerful. Full of happiness.

Raoul was already in the bed when Katze came in. As always, waiting for him with a book. The silk sheet covering the lower part of his body ran dangerously low across his hips, revealing some hint of what was beneath. Golden hair fell beautifully on the shoulders. Has he been posing himself or what, Katze thought detachedly, unable to tear his eyes away from the impressive sight before him. Raoul met his gaze and gave him a slight smile, putting the book aside.

"Hi." The simplicity of that word seemed inadequate.

"Hi," Katze answered.

"So, how did it go today? Have I interrupted much of your work?"

The question didn't really have any meaning in it. Just small talk. Raoul always tried to small talk with him before he used him. Ask him questions – whatever they were, it didn't matter. In a way, Katze thought, it was nice. Much nicer than if he just took Katze without words. He sat down on the bed.

"No, not much."

And unexpectedly a smile crept across his lips. The encounter with Reo put him in a strange mood tonight. Suddenly Raoul with his whims, and frowning, and small talks seemed so... naive to him. Suddenly Katze felt almost condescending.

"What?" Raoul asked, studying his face.

"Nothing." But then he heard himself saying, "Sometimes you're such a kid, Raoul."

The Blondie looked at him, surprised, but then he just shook his head. He took the edge of the cover and pulled it aside.

"Get in," he motioned briskly with his chin, a hint of smile playing on his lips.

So Katze got rid of his pajamas and quickly got under the quilt. And a moment later Raoul was over him. He rested his elbows on either of Katze's sides, looking down at him.

"A kid, you say," he offered.

"Yep."

"I don't think I want an explanation."

And with that he entered Katze easily. He lowered himself over the dealer and started working rhythmically. Katze wrapped his arms around the Blondie to steady himself and poked his nose into the crook Raoul's neck. He inhaled the scent. Jupiter, it was nice. The bastard must have again used something incredibly expensive after the bath. He took a few deep breaths to relish the aroma. Nice, indeed.

Raoul's body was a little bit too heavy over him, but at least it warmed pleasantly. Gods, sometimes lying like this Katze felt like humming to kill time. Or making faces since Raoul couldn't see him. But no, let's retain some dignity.

The Blondie lowered his head to his neck and started kissing it, his lips soft and warm, sucking delicately. Katze gasped, feeling his fingers dig into the other man's back. Oh, damn, stop it! Stop it, it's feeling too... Luckily Raoul did stop soon. The Blondie's hair was scattered all over their heads. A few strands fell on Katze's cheek, soft and tickling. On reflex, he reached out and gathered the locks from his face and from the pillow. He tucked them behind the Blondie's ear. Raoul stopped moving. He lifted himself over Katze.

"They were getting into my eyes," Katze explained. His voice came out in a whisper.

"Oh," Raoul whispered back. "Sorry."

Katze's hand was still entangled in the golden mass of hair, brushing the delicate skin of the earlobe. He took it away quickly and wrapped his arm around the Blondie again. Raoul leaned down to him and pressed his lips to the scarred cheek, taking in a deep breath. He resumed thrusting and came just a few moments later, his loud sigh echoing in Katze's ear. He slumped on Katze and stayed like that, as usual. The dealer closed his eyes. He could still smell the intoxicating aroma of Raoul's skin, the perfume now mixed with sweat; he could feel the elite's weight on himself. He heard Raoul's quickened breath, felt it hot on his neck. He had a sudden urge to stroke the Blondie's back in some silly, soothing gesture. Oh, what the hell, he stroked it, just once. It seemed to him that Raoul shuddered.

"Hey, let me go," he murmured. "I have to... you know."

"Don't go," Raoul's voice sounded sullen. "I don't care for my sheets."

Katze chuckled somewhat nervously. "Sure you do. Come on, Raoul."

There was a moment of silence.

"Oh well, all right," the Blondie surrendered and moved aside, releasing him. "But don't be long."

Katze sent him a wan smile, getting out of bed. "Yeah, right. I won't."

* * *

Night had just fallen over the city. It was a beautiful, warm night with thousands of stars illuminating the sky. The moons hung over the buildings, clasped to each other right in front of Iason's eyes. Always together – there was something magical about this sight.

But Iason wasn't interested in the moons at the moment. He stood, leaning against the balcony ledge, slowly inhaling the smoke of an expensive cigarette. It was one of those rare moments when the taste of smoke felt good in his mouth. Usually he loathed it.

Since the meeting with Raoul earlier that day he'd felt strange. He had parted with his friend thinking that he was glad with such an outcome. He had a twisted satisfaction. He'd managed to turn the ever-so-straight Raoul to his depraved side. Finally the biologist would stop lecturing him, finally they would be able to talk like friends again. Maybe they would even talk about _that_, have fun sharing their experience, chit-chatting about their lovers... ehm, pets? It was nice to have another elite-mongrel couple around.

But there was something else underneath this happiness. Like... a kind of unrest. In a way, Iason still felt responsible for Katze. For so many years the mongrel had been his furniture, and then his second in command in the black market. Almost like Raoul had been his second in command in legal business. Iason was aware that for all that time he had been the most important person in Katze's life. And now suddenly there was someone else.

Unexpectedly, he found himself morbidly curious about what happened in the darkness of Raoul's bedroom. Numerous questions whirled in his brain. How were they doing it? Did Katze hurt? Or... maybe he liked it? Raoul had said he didn't seem quite enthusiastic, but didn't protest either. Maybe he should protest. He still belonged to Iason after all, he should keep that in mind. Did he really hold Raoul when the Blondie was doing it to him? Suddenly an image of Raoul and his Katze entwined in love embrace appeared very clear in Iason's mind.

His Katze... Ah, damn it, Raoul was taking _his_ Katze. Iason smirked brokenly at the thought, realizing that he was also angry about that.

"What is it?"

He turned around, startled and met Riki's gaze. The young man approached him in a slow, soundless gait and Iason felt a smile curving his lips. He hadn't heard Riki come out on the balcony. Sometimes his pet could stalk like a cat.

"Why do you think there is something?"

The mongrel stopped beside him. He moved his gaze to the cigarette between Iason's fingers.

"You were smirking in that funny way, you're smoking. You hardly ever smoke. Usually when something's on your mind."

Iason raised one brow. "Ah, you're such a great psychologist all of a sudden?"

"Always have been," Riki shrugged, "you just didn't care to notice. So, what is it?"

Iason turned his eyes away and looked at the night cityscape again.

"Nothing."

"It isn't nothing. You won't fool me, Iason. I can see something's bothering you."

"It's nothing, Riki," Iason repeated with emphasis. And what was he supposed to say? That he was standing here brooding about Katze?

"Alright. So you don't want to speak," Riki concluded, clearly displeased. "Again you don't want to speak with me. I ask you questions, try to talk to you, and all you do is dismiss me."

"I don't dismiss you. But you can't expect me to tell you everything. About some things I just can't talk."

"And about some you don't want to," Riki countered. "Because you think I wouldn't understand, right? Like, a mongrel is too dumb to discuss certain things with him."

Iason looked at Riki sternly. What had gotten into his pet suddenly to scold him like this? Well, Iason definitely wasn't going to discuss _that_.

"There are some things, Riki, I won't discuss with a mongrel," he admitted.

Riki's face pulled into a frown. He looked hurt. "Maybe that's our problem, you know? The only good thing between us is sex. There is not only sex in life." With that he turned and left the balcony.

* * *

"Talk to me, Katze," Raoul offered unexpectedly.

The dealer moved his gaze to the Blondie, surprised. Raoul was lying on his back, staring at the canopy as he often did after he used Katze.

"What about?"

Raoul shrugged. "Anything. I just don't want you silent. There is so much I still don't know about you. Like—your work. It must be interesting what you do in the black market. Or where did you learn so much about computers, or what was it like to live in Ceres. Or... why is it that you love him so much?"

Katze inhaled sharply. "I don't..."

"Shhh. I know you do."

So he didn't try to deny it anymore. For a while he just stared at the Blondie silently. Something was there, in his throat, giving him this strange feeling, pulling his face into an expression of... what?

"Raoul, Raoul," he shook his head and finally allowed his lips to curl in a faint smile. What the hell. He didn't feel sleepy yet. He could just lie like that, sulking. Or he could as well say something.

He sat up, crossing his legs and turning to face Raoul. He covered his lower body with his part of the quilt. The Blondie glanced at him curiously and Katze smiled.

"So? What do you want to hear first?"


	6. Chapter 6

(Language corrections by Shayne and Phaedra7veils.)

**Chapter 6**

"I think it's a completely misguided idea," Katze said. "You're gonna take me there and what? There'll be plenty of elite, all with their pets. What will you tell them? That you brought your assistant with you? To a pet party? Come on, Raoul."

The sky had only started getting dark outside. They sat next to each other on the sofa in the great hall, food and the closed chessboard untouched on the table before them.

"Not exactly a pet party," Raoul corrected. "More – a celebration. Kano won't bring his pet, he'll be with Lucius. And Lucius will be with Kano. They'll have too much fun showing each other off to care about pets."

Right, Raoul definitely knew something about showing off, Katze thought wryly.

"They're both elite, they both have a reason to be there. I don't," he pointed out.

"All right then. I'll tell everybody that you are my pet."

Wha...? Katze jerked in surprise, pushing away from the backrest, and turned to look at Raoul. The Blondie returned his gaze, glancing at him from under the thick eyelashes. A sly smile played on his lips. Oh, the bastard was joking. But how could Katze have known? With Raoul you never knew.

He let his body fall back into cushioning.

"A pet, huh?" he picked up. "You'll make a laughing stock of yourself in front of everyone."

"Is that so?" Raoul's voice sounded strangely serious and drew Katze's gaze again. "You think an idea of making you a pet is so completely ridiculous?"

"Well? What else could it be?"

"I could think of quite a few arguments to convince the elite that a pet like you would be much more interesting than a class A one from the Academy."

"Oh yeah?" Katze challenged him. "Like?"

"Like—" Raoul took a breath. "Imagine for a moment that you are an elite and give me the reasons why you wouldn't make a good pet."

Katze kept staring at the Blondie out of the corner of his eye. Here he was. Compared to a pet. Compared to an elite. So typical of Raoul. He slid deeper into the seat and rested his foot on the edge of the table, preparing for intellectual ping-pong.

"Very well. I'm... He's too old. It's unthinkable to have someone that old as a pet."

Raoul smirked. "Old? What do you mean by old? He's in fact a few years younger than I am. Do you mean I am old?"

"Well, no, but for pets age is counted differently."

"Says who? A rule? I'd say that's nonsense. Pets keep us company in our everyday life. Are we so immature as to surround ourselves with kids? How interesting can a dumb kid be for a grown up, highly intelligent man?"

"One could say pets are not supposed to be intelligent. Otherwise they could start bothering their heads with completely inappropriate things like reading or learning. They are just toys. They should be focused on the things they are meant for."

"And I would say that we chose our own toys and the purpose for them. If one chooses substandard property when they might have something much better, that's their problem. I choose only the best."

Katze fidgeted in his seat and cleared his throat. "All right, it might work. How about this: he's a mongrel. And just don't tell me that Iason having a mongrel pet is an argument."

"I won't. Here we go. A mongrel, you say. So? He might be a mongrel, but just look at him. Look at his face, at his body. Isn't he beautiful? Tall like us, with features so regular that many pets would envy. All right, so he's got the scar, but he wasn't born with it. He was injured. Besides, it's just a small, negligible flaw, quite exotic I would say. Another thing – his hair. The color as pure as any Ruby's. Jupiter created us to be physically perfect. More perfect than pets. A man who resembles us is physically much closer to perfection than any of the pets. As for his mind... How can I even compare pets with their insect little brains to the man who alone compromised the computer system designed by elite? So he is a mongrel, created through random coincidence. Do you have any idea how incredible it makes him?"

Only as he finished speaking, did Raoul notice that Katze was staring at him, amazement in his eyes. The mongrel's lips trembled. "You really mean all that?"

Raoul shrugged, the dealer's incredulous gaze making him feel uneasy. "These are facts, Katze. How can I not mean them? Well," he spoke quickly to shake off the impression, "anything else? The next would be: he's castrated, right?"

Katze sighed. He turned away from the Blondie and stared at his shoe. "He's castrated. For a pet that in itself is disqualifying. He can't perform. Pets are performers."

"Like I said – we choose the purpose for our toys. Who says they have to be meant for sex? Besides, he can be very sexually interesting, I assure you."

Katze gave him a venomous look. "You wouldn't use _this_ one."

"You're right, I wouldn't," Raoul smiled. "How about this? Being castrated in a way makes him even more like us. He is sterile, just like us. He isn't sexually active, just like us. So that's another of his elite-like features."

Katze blinked, perplexed. "And that was a bit far fetched."

Raoul threw up his arms. "Hey, everything for the sake of the discussion!"

"Yeah, so I see."

He felt strange having this conversation. It'd been a long time since anyone had discussed him as a thing, property in his presence. And to think that now he was doing it himself. It was a bit annoying, but on the other hand... Having heard all those things from the Blondie's lips, made him feel—high. Here he had answers to the questions he'd been asking himself for over a month. Why had Raoul taken fancy to him? Why had he chosen him over pure-bred, well-trained, younger and fully fit Academy pets? Not that he'd ever considered himself inferior to those brainless little creatures. But for some things they were just more fitting. The whole part about his physical superiority astounded him a great deal. It was... a revelation. But, hell, a convincing one.

"If you're so open-minded all of a sudden," he observed, "you should finally understand why Iason has a thing for Riki."

"And why would that be?" Raoul seemed surprised. "Riki doesn't have any of those features I value in you. He is very attractive, I admit, his... wildness might be... alluring, but he doesn't match pets' beauty. And he doesn't have anything to make up for it. He is perhaps smarter than pets, but nothing extraordinary either."

"You'd be surprised, Raoul."

The Blondie shot him a glance. "Don't tell me he is another brilliant mongrel."

Katze's mouth tilted. "Brilliant? No. He's not some kind of brainiac if that's what you mean. But he lacks nothing when it comes to wits. He's very smart. With the kind of smartness that commands a high price in the market."

"If you say so," Raoul shrugged, looking unconvinced and Katze didn't intend to push the matter further.

They sat in silence for a while, each one immersed in his own thoughts, then suddenly Raoul's ear caught Katze's little snicker. He turned his face to the mongrel.

"What?"

"Man, I just can see their faces when you tell them all that," the dealer shook his head. "'But Raoul! Aren't you a little bit too eccentric?'" he exclaimed in a theatrically offended voice. "They'd be thinking you're completely out of your mind."

A picture of a few goggly-eyed, shell-shocked elites appeared in Raoul's mind and made him laugh as well.

"I'd sure like to see that. Oh," he purred, "I'd _love_ to see that."

Katze chuckled freely, throwing his head back. The sound of his soft, relaxed voice suddenly attracted Raoul's attention. He stared at the dealer curiously, entranced by the sight. He'd never seen Katze so carefree before. He honestly doubted the mongrel often let his guard down like this. If ever.

Suddenly he wanted more. Suddenly the sound of this laughter stirred something inside him. Without thinking, he reached for Katze's hand and closed his around it. The laughter broke off. The dealer raised his head and looked at him, remains of good humor still on his face. Raoul's heart beat faster.

"What are you..." the mongrel muttered.

Raoul reached out and stroked Katze's cheek. His fingers combed through the red strands.

"You are so... beautiful when you laugh."

The dealer's face was suddenly completely serious. And the relaxed expression gone. Katze trembled.

"Please, don't."

Raoul frowned. "Don't what?"

"Don't... say that. Don't look at me as if you wanted to—"

"To what? Drag you to the bed right away?" Raoul's eyes narrowed as he moved his face closer to the dealer. His voice dropped to a whisper. "But that's exactly what I want, Katze."

Katze closed his eyes and turned his head away. What had gotten into that Blondie all of a sudden? They were sitting together, chatting, laughing, almost like... buddies. And then, so unexpectedly... Raoul's swift change of attitude frightened him. He could stand the Blondie taking him every night, damn, in a way he could even enjoy it, but only because it was never unexpected. He was always psychically prepared. Now he wasn't and the thought of giving himself to Raoul suddenly felt repulsive.

"But I don't want it," he breathed.

Raoul's fingers around his tightened abruptly, bringing pain, and he forced himself to look at the Blondie again. The change on Raoul's face was striking. Brows drawn together angrily, eyes fierce...

"What makes you think you have any right to decide in this matter?" The words were chilly. Katze felt anger rising in him as well.

"Right. I forgot I don't have any," he spat. "You create pretty illusions of equality, Raoul."

For a moment the biologist sized him up with a stern gaze. "Go prepare yourself, Katze. Undress and get into bed. I'll be there in a minute."

Katze gritted his teeth but didn't try to protest. He just looked significantly at their clasped hands and Raoul took the hint. He opened his fingers, letting Katze go. The dealer got up and silently headed for the bedroom.

The sex wasn't pleasant. Not even physically. For the first time Raoul ordered him to lay face down and took him rougher than usual. Katze could feel the fury emerging through the Blondie's thrusts. He was furious as well. And humiliated. In a sense he was glad they weren't facing each other. He didn't think he could stand looking at Raoul. This way it was easier. Dehumanizing but easier.

Then the Blondie came and stopped. But he didn't let Katze go. And after a few minutes lying pinned under the other man's body, Katze felt the big organ inside him harden again. He swore inwardly when Raoul resumed thrusting. Dammit, it'd never happened before. So he just gritted his teeth, dug his fingers into the sheets and endured it.

Luckily it didn't take long. The Blondie spent himself for the second time and slumped down on him. Katze twisted sharply under his weight.

"Done with me, already?" he growled.

Raoul winced with the remains of anger but couldn't bring himself to scold the mongrel. Now, that he'd given vent to his raging emotions, his senses were slowly returning. And he suddenly felt disgusted. For the first time disgusted by sex with Katze. No, actually by his own actions. Oh, Jupiter, what had he done?

"Yes," he groaned.

"Then get off me," Katze's voice was sharp, like an order, and automatically Raoul complied, freeing the redhead from his grip.

Katze jumped out of bed like a scalded cat. Raoul lifted himself on his elbow and opened his mouth to say something, but realized that his mind was blank. In one abrupt movement, the dealer grabbed his jeans from the floor and walked to the bathroom. A moment later the door slid shut behind him. Raoul fell on his back, covering his eyes with his hand. Shit.

* * *

After an hour he began to worry. What was Katze doing so long in the bath? He was fuming, no doubt. But—an hour? Was he going to stay there all night? Raoul definitely didn't like that prospect.

Reluctantly, he got out of bed. All right, so he'd screwed things up, now he had to placate his mongrel. He really didn't feel too good about what happened, but it was his right to do it, wasn't it? No matter what Jupiter might think about his conduct, it was still his full right to use the mongrel. He'd spent an hour repeating it to himself and finally it worked. More or less.

He put on his pants, came up to the bathroom door and placed his hand on the scanner. The door stayed closed. All right, so Katze had locked it, it was quite natural, everyone needed some privacy in the bathroom. Raoul waited a few moments for the dealer to open, but nothing happened. He waited a little more. The door stood unyielding before him. Damn. His hand rose and banged at the thick plasteel before he managed to stop it.

"Katze, are you in there?" What a stupid question, of course he was. "Katze, open the door!"

Silence. It didn't make much sense – banging at the door. When the port was locked, placing a hand on the scanner activated a signal inside, so Katze already had to know that Raoul tried to get in. If he hadn't reacted, banging wouldn't help either. It just felt good. Created an illusion of control.

As much as Raoul hated to violate the mongrel's sulking privacy, this situation was beginning to get on his nerves. He definitely wasn't going to spend the night unable to enter his own bathroom. And he wasn't the master of this condo for nothing. He could open its every door using a special code reserved only for him. Since Katze wouldn't talk to him, it seemed he didn't have any other choice but to use it now.

Swiftly, Raoul entered the code, put his hand on the scanner again and waited. Nothing. He tapped the same sequence once more, thinking that maybe his finger had hit the wrong key. Nothing. What on Jupiter? Had Katze... no, he wouldn't.

Wouldn't he? If it was possible to tinker with the port to change the code, Katze would definitely be capable of doing such a thing. Why shouldn't he then?

"Katze!" Raoul called more loudly. Same result.

He slid his gaze around the room, as if he could find an answer there. With a certain surprise he realized that he didn't know what to do. Could he tamper with the port himself? Maybe. Before the code had been changed. Now... He bent down and looked at the panel. He frowned. He displayed the history of the recent actions, hoping that he would find some useful information there, but the result told him nothing. He tried to undo the latest changes, but the screen announced that the operation was blocked. He ran a few different emergency options. All for nothing. The door was locked dead.

He stared blankly at the panel. The buttons stared impassively back, giving him no answer. He gritted his teeth and stifled a curse. What now? Call the tower service? And what would he tell them? 'Hey, guys. You see, there's a certain half naked mongrel in my bathroom. Just dropped by and locked himself in.' No, it was out of question.

There was one last hope. The condo's main terminal. Every electronic device in the penthouse could be reached and controlled from there. It might work. He turned on his heel and left the bedroom.

He was back ten minutes later. With a screwdriver and crowbar in his hand. And no longer trying to suppress the curses. Reo poked his nose into the bedroom and cast a fearful glance after his master before the door slid closed automatically.

Raoul approached the bathroom port and banged at the dogged concrete one last time.

"Katze, open up now!"

Still silence. Oh, damn, he hadn't hurt himself, had he? No, the Blondie shook off the thought. Such stupid excesses weren't in Katze's style.

He looked at the tools in his hand and got down to manual work.

* * *

When a quarter of an hour later he opened the heavy door with some help from the crowbar, the first thing he became aware of was the acrid stench of cigarette smoke attacking his nostrils. He coughed and walked into his bathroom, now hazy gray.

He noticed Katze at once with an overwhelming feeling of relief. The mongrel was squatting against the wall, just next to the entrance. A cigarette dangled from his fingers. He completely ignored the fact that the Blondie had just entered – didn't move, didn't look up. He didn't seem to have noticed Raoul at all.

The Blondie waved his hand to disperse the thick smoke around him. He glanced down at the mongrel. Katze had his pants on, but his chest was bare and in this position his strong, wonderfully shaped muscles rippled perfectly. In spite of the gloomy circumstances, Raoul studied the picture with delight.

"Why did you do it?" he asked.

"Do what?" Katze's voice was completely flat. Golden eyes stared at the floor.

"Why did you block the code? Why did you lock yourself in here for a whole hour?"

"Really Raoul," the dealer jeered. "Are you so dumb not to know?"

Raoul felt a sudden anger at these words. How dared he? How did this mongrel dare to insult him? But when he spoke, he managed to keep his voice in check.

"You know, I really should punish you for talking to me like that."

"Then do. What's stopping you?"

He studied the redhead for a long moment, irritation still running through his veins, but washing quickly away when he tried to imagine himself raising a hand to Katze. He sighed and crouched before the dealer.

"I can't," he admitted. Katze's narrow eyes shifted to him and Raoul covered his sudden embarrassment with a faint smile. "How could I punish someone who fixed me so neatly?"

The amber gaze left him to focus on the cig. Katze rolled the butt between his fingers, squeezing it slightly.

"Look, I'm sorry, but you can't expect me to apologize," Raoul took up. "You finally HAVE to understand that I have a right to do it." He bit his lip, looking at Katze. "Would you believe me if I told you that I don't feel... comfortable about what happened either?"

The redhead was still silent. Raoul rolled his eyes.

"Hey, you gave me a hard time too." He motioned with his hand, still armed with the crowbar. "See what I did because of you? Now I'll have to have someone fix this door. And did you really have to smoke in here?"

Katze shrugged. "You took a mongrel, now deal with the consequences."

Raoul sighed, glad to hear a trace of humor in the redhead's words. He rose and looked down at him.

"Get up, Katze." The dealer glanced up and Raoul prompted him with his hand. "Come on, get up. If you still want to smoke, go out on the balcony."

The mongrel slowly got to his feet. Raoul took a step back, not wanting to weigh him down with his proximity.

"Just put something on," he added. "It's cold outside."

Katze stared at him for yet another moment, then passed him and left the bathroom without a word.

* * *

Raoul himself needed quite a few minutes to cool down. He spent them taking a quick, lukewarm shower, cleaning his body from recent sex and his mind from gloomy thoughts.

Katze wasn't in the bedroom when he left the bathroom, but he noticed the mongrel's figure outside, leaning against the balcony ledge. Smoking. Katze's shirt was still on the floor, sprawled expressively in front of Raoul's eyes. Without a second thought the Blondie followed the dealer's footsteps to the balcony. He came to a halt beside the redhead, resting one hand on the ledge.

"Feeling better already?"

For a while Katze was silent, staring into the darkness.

"You definitely put me in my place tonight," he murmured finally. He _seemed_ better. Not much better though.

"But that's what your place is," Raoul said. "You should never forget it."

The dealer shook his head. "And I was beginning to—" he stopped short.

Raoul glanced at him. "You were beginning to what?"

"Nothing." The mongrel tossed the fag into the night, pushed himself away from the ledge and retreated into the bedroom, leaving Raoul alone again.

Inside, he sat down on the bed and shivered, trying to shake the cold off his skin. He was freezing. The evenings were getting really cold this time of the year. He should have listened to Raoul... No, he didn't want to listen to the Blondie in any way. And he wanted another smoke.

He felt strange. As if something inside him had broken. Not even after that night when Raoul had taken him for the first time had he felt this way. Then he'd been mad. Now... this time it wasn't so much anger. It was realization.

Suddenly the nature of his arrangement with Raoul became absolutely clear to him. It was like a flash of insight. He'd been deluding himself before, thinking that he and the Blondie could establish some sort of partnership. No partnership was possible when a Blondie was concerned. He could never know when Raoul decides to switch from partner to master mode. And if that was so, any partnership there could be was as good as none. He always had to be prepared. He always had to keep in mind that Raoul was in control. Fuck.

He was sure he would never forget it anymore.

* * *

The car stopped in front of the huge, luxurious building of Parthea. Instantly a furniture appeared beside it. He was stooping his body in a deep bow before the door had even time to fully open.

"Welcome to the party, sir Raoul. Master Shisei is expecting you," he recited.

They got out of the limousine, Raoul clad in an impressive evening suit – a typical over-done suit at the height of elite fashion. Katze glanced at the Blondie, wondering for the nth time within the last hour how people who were supposed to have good taste could dress in something like this. And the first biologist of Amoi was perhaps the most fashionable of all them.

The banquet was taking place on the top floor of the building. The main reception hall was already full of people when they entered. The place was bright. Wide rays of early-afternoon sun streamed through the high windows that occupied the whole wall and revealed an enormous balcony to the guests' eyes.

As if only waiting for their arrival, Shisei Kano – in his imposing attire looking like a peacock – approached them, smiling widely. Almost immediately his blue-haired companion appeared at his side.

"Raoul!" Kano exclaimed with apparent delight. "Here you are finally!"

Raoul smiled. "Shisei, Lucius. Nice to see you."

"Ah, and you brought your assistant with you," the Platina continued in the same happy tone. "Katze, it's a pleasure to have you here. You look gorgeous."

Katze didn't know why the question of his appearance was so important to bring it up. Actually he didn't look any different than usual. Raoul spared him all this costume madness, at least for that he was grateful to the Blondie. All the biologist had requested from him was to wear something 'better', so Katze just donned his new, rather plain, lounge suit.

They moved slowly through the hall, Kano chatting vivaciously about his and Raoul's new alliance. Every now and then someone came over to say hello or nodded a greeting in their direction, but so far Raoul didn't seem interested in speaking with anyone in particular. A furniture approached them with a tray of drinks and the Blondie took one. Katze thanked the boy, shaking his head in refusal.

So far there were about thirty elites at the party – some of them members of the Center's board, some – the most prominent elite of Tanagura, the rest probably Kano's associates. One glance around the room was enough to assess that most of the guests had brought their pets along. Part of the cute adolescents hung at their master's sides, others – apparently released from their lashes – wandered freely around the room.

Following a half step behind the three elites, the dealer took perverse pleasure in studying the pets closely. Their scant outfits show-cased their beautiful, young, androgynous bodies. Skin tight, with openings in interesting places and see-through parts. The pets were supposed to be extremely attractive. Well, there was no denying that they were.

The ones sticking with their masters kept their heads humbly lowered, but those set loose seemed to have completely forgotten about their meek demeanor. They helped themselves freely at the buffet, whispered and giggled amongst each other, no trace of servility in their behavior. Katze couldn't help feeling contemptuous pity looking at them.

"At fifteen hundred, that is—" Kano glanced at his wrist, "in an hour, I plan a light afternoon repast for the guests. We'll raise a toast and celebrate together. And after the meal, since so many of us have come with their pets, I think we'll give those kids a chance to show off. What do you think?"

"It's your party, Shisei," Raoul made the Platina a courtly bow. "But it suits me just fine."

Lucius' head suddenly turned towards Katze. "Will you join, Katze?"

The dealer didn't miss the little fact that Kano's lover didn't actually say _how_ he was supposed to join. Or maybe it was his own paranoia. He gave the man a flat smile.

"I'm not a great fan of watching pet shows, sir. Seen too many of them, mostly from backstage."

The Sapphire smiled back at him. "So I can imagine. Though it's a great pity. I'm sure your person would be very entertaining."

Katze bit back a sharp retort before it managed to escape his mouth and swallowed the hint silently. Having waited a moment, as if to make sure that the issue was closed, Kano went back to beaming over the union and Katze, happily, to watching pets.

He noticed Iason the very moment they entered the second, smaller parlor. The head of Tanagura's Syndicate sat at a low table with two other Blondies, both accompanied by beautiful youths seated on velour pillows at their feet. There was also the third youth, on a pillow at Iason's feet, but neither pose nor expression of this particular pet showed appropriate respect. Riki was propped against Iason's sofa, elbows resting on bent knees, black brows drawn together, while his sharp eyes scanned the surroundings with a menacing glower.

Katze felt a surge of contrasting emotions at seeing those two. A part of him wanted to run away screaming, another – to bounce merrily towards the couple. He knew they would be here, of course he knew – the first Tanagura's Blondie couldn't be passed over in the list of Kano's upper echelon guests. But this knowledge didn't help the fact that his heart raced in his chest as though he were some stupid teenager.

For the last six weeks, since the moment he'd moved to Raoul's place, he'd hardly spoken to his former master. It wasn't necessary, he could run the business without meeting or talking with Iason. But he missed the Blondie. Oh, he missed him a lot. He yearned to see him and avoided it at the same time. He was sure he'd feel awkward in Iason's company. There were times when he sat at the computer with his finger over the call button, desperate to see Iason's face, but... what would he say to him? Pretend some business matter? He always ended up deciding that it was better not to call.

Same with Riki. He'd been avoiding the brat. When he had a task for him, he sent it by mail and demanded the answer in the same way. Not that he missed the punk; well, maybe a little, but Riki was a pain in the ass sometimes and the truth was Katze just didn't want to hear the kid's cutting comments about his new... status.

Oh, he was positive he would hear them today.

Iason's blue, slightly bored eyes moved to them, apparently catching the movement at the door... and froze, suddenly lively. The Blondie's shapely lips formed a small smile.

"Here is your friend," Kano's voice reached Katze's ears. "I believe you'll be happy to join him for now."

"Yes, if you don't mind," Raoul said.

"Of course I don't. I am expecting a few more guests, so I'll go do the honors."

They nodded at each other, then Kano and Lucius disappeared back into the first room and Raoul strolled up to Iason's table, Katze following him. Another set of nods was enough of a greeting and the Blondie sat down on the sofa opposite Iason and gestured Katze to a place next to him.

The dealer heaved a silent sigh of relief and sat down as well. Riki from his place gave him a dark look.

"So, Kano says this new union will be very profitable for both of you," Iason struck up a polite conversation.

"Indeed. It's a huge opportunity for Shisei's company and a great improvement for mine."

"From what I've heard he is planning to change the Enterprises' policy. Start his own research instead of only producing equipment," one of the other Blondies said.

They continued in the same flat, strikingly monotonous tone for a while, the conversation seasoned with the occasional bland social laugh. Soon the two other elites left and somehow no one hurried over to replace them. The atmosphere eased a little. Raoul and Iason started one of their typical conversations. Katze knew that neither of them would mind if he joined in, but he somehow didn't feel like speaking. So he just sat silently, allowed himself to relax, and stared at the couple in front of him.

He had to admit they looked good sitting like that. With his glare and stance, Riki was like no other pet. He wasn't dressed like a pet either. All in black as always. His long pants and sleeveless turtleneck were both skintight, but revealed nothing in particular, save for a narrow strip of skin at the waist. He could easily go outside like this and no one would deem it abnormal. Maybe just a bit provocative.

And Iason... Iason was no less outstanding compared to the rest of elites. His suit was modest by upper-class standards, which only emphasized his own strength and beauty. He was magnificent amidst a throng of colorfully over-dressed aristocratic clowns.

Watching them, Katze could almost see the invisible bond that held them together. Attraction, fascination, desire... It left a sorrowful, bitter taste in his mouth. Damn, in a way they were so alike.

A few times Iason's gaze met Katze's and stopped there. The dealer shivered with apprehension. Was it only him or was there something in the Blondie's eyes? Some... intensity. Why did Iason stare like this? Did he know? Aw, shit! Katze suddenly realized a possible reason for the elite's interest. Had Raoul told him about... the sex issue? Had he told him what he'd made Katze into? He felt an obtrusive blush creeping up his cheeks but gritted his teeth defiantly. Yes, Iason, I did betray you. Many times. And so what? Why should you care? _You_ were the one who gave me away. _You_ hinted about new experiences. You have no right to despise me.

But he lowered his gaze, unable to meet Iason's.

He didn't know how long they sat like that, when suddenly he heard a voice coming from the entrance.

"May I have your attention please?" The hum in the lounge faded gradually. "Master Shisei is asking everyone into the great hall for refreshments. You are of course welcome to take your pets. There are places at the table prepared for them as well."

Iason and Raoul exchanged glances. Elites throughout the room began to rise and move languidly towards the door. Riki looked up at his master.

"Spare me this fucked up charade, Iason," he said in a sullen voice. "I don't wanna be in there. Besides, I could really use a smoke." It was clear he tried to make his words not to sound like a plea.

Iason gave him a gentle smile. "Of course. Go ahead. Just go outside, you mustn't smoke in here."

Riki nodded. His eyes met Katze's. "You coming?"

The dealer bit the inside of his lip, wondering if he should ask Raoul's permission as well and realizing how hateful this idea was for him. Fortunately Raoul spared him the trouble.

"Sure, go if you want. And Katze," the Blondie added more quietly, "you know you don't have to ask."

"Thanks," Katze murmured and got up just as the black mongrel lifted himself from his pillow.

Whether the brat was going to tease him or not, it was better than taking part in the 'fucked up charade' as Riki had nicely put it. He would eventually have to confront the kid anyway. Couldn't be his boss talking to him just via mail.

Iason looked after the two, taking in the picture. The feeling he'd been trying to stifle for a few days hit him with redoubled strength. His two mongrels. How beautiful they were. Why had it never occurred to him that Katze was so attractive? He could even compete with Riki. Completely different – lacking the irresistibly exotic, wild charm Riki emitted, but tall, perfectly built and more than a little elite-like in appearance, indeed. They both looked better than any pet in the room. Jupiter, why did people spend huge amounts of money to create and buy those cloned, arrogant fools when such wonders walked freely around the streets? Just go to Ceres and catch one – he'll be yours. Iason felt an abrupt and very uncomfortable stiffness in his crotch and was glad that his jacket was long enough to cover it.

"Are we going?" Raoul's voice caught him unawares.

He stirred and shifted his gaze to his friend, trying to get rid of the libidinous thoughts.

"Yes, of course," he forced himself to smile at his friend.

They got up and followed the others to the bigger room.

* * *

Riki produced his cigarettes from the pocket of his pants and offered one to Katze. The dealer eyed the pack critically.

"No, thanks, got my own."

"Your loss," the mongrel patted the box affectionately before squeezing it back into his pocket. "Man, how can you not like Dark Vienas?"

Katze just shrugged, deciding that the question didn't require an answer. A moment later they were both smoking, strolling slowly towards the edge of the balcony. There were several groups of pets, walking just as they were or sitting at the cocktail tables, and Katze flinched at the unpleasant thought that he and Riki were actually a part of their number.

"So," the dark youth started in a casual tone. "Heard that your life changed quite a bit."

Katze sighed inwardly. The snot couldn't wait even a minute, huh?

"Yeah? And what did you hear?"

"That a certain Blondie took a fancy to you," there was a sneer in Riki's voice. "A Blondie Raoul Am."

"So it seems," Katze admitted reluctantly and heard Riki's snicker. He stopped on impulse and turned to the other mongrel, annoyed. "And what's so funny about it?"

Riki stopped as well and met his gaze.

"I'll tell you what." He pointed his finger at Katze's chest, almost poking him with it. "You set me up with Iason," the finger jabbed the air in the rhythm of his words. "You were the wicked bastard who helped him set that trap for me. Now you're paying and I'm glad."

Katze blew smoke right into Riki's face, but the black eyes held his gaze without a blink.

"Wow, thanks Riki, I didn't know you love me so much."

"Hey, don't get me wrong, boss. I like you, even though you're one nasty sonnuvabitch. But certain things have to be said. And I think you deserved it. I really hope you feel exactly the way I did."

"And you're so unhappy with Iason, huh? He hurts you, beats you... Dammit, Riki, will you ever start realizing what that guy does for you? I did you a favor!"

Riki had to crane his neck to look at Katze from so close, but it didn't affect his cocky demeanor. He curled his lip defiantly, sticking out his jaw.

"It's not about what he does to me or for me. It's about you screwing me over. You messed with me so don't be surprised I have a laugh now."

"Great, so you do. I got what I deserved, happy? Now, can we please change the subject?"

Riki shrugged almost carelessly. "Sure thing. Once said, it's outta my mind. We're even."

The dealer nodded and breathed deeply in relief. Wasn't that bad after all, was it? He'd expected something worse. They moved on again.

"So, is he screwing you?" The mocking note was back in Riki's voice.

"I said knock it off, Riki!"

The mongrel chuckled, much to Katze's frustration. "Just asking."

A group of three pets was approaching them from the opposite. They could already hear their voices.

"I'm glad you like it," said one of them, a boy of about fourteen, the weirdest composition of curls and clips gracing his blonde head. "It's going to be the rave of the season. Isme and Dirk liked it, too."

"It's gorgeous. Which reminds me, I should ask master Kiira to take me to the hairdresser as well. I'm giving a very important performance in Mistral next week."

"Who isn't?"

They passed Riki and Katze, deliberately turning their pretty heads away and a few instants later the mongrels heard their exaggerated whispers.

"Did you see them? Did you see them? That's that filthy mongrel. Eek, he's ugly."

"Yeah, and old. Did you know that he's already over twenty?"

"Who's the other guy?"

"I don't know. Looked like someone from Midas."

"What's a guy from Midas doing here?"

The voices faded. A few steps later Riki said:

"I'm the ugly one. You're the guy from Midas."

"Yeah, apparently."

They spent a few seconds contemplating that, then Riki spoke again.

"So tell me, how's the business going? You haven't talked to me for a while."

"Quite usual. Craig finally got the stuff from Medea and managed to start a new production line. And Kena is almost done with those enhanced memory chips. There's gonna be some rush in the business in a while. So be ready."

"Yeah," the youth's voice sounded really contented, "I was hoping for something new. I'm gettin' real bored tapping at the keyboard all the time."

"Hey, it's much better than the warehouse, Riki, so don't complain."

"Better by about a micron's worth," the mongrel corrected. "But, yeah, a bit better it is."

They were walking along the ledge now, approaching a table occupied by four beautiful kids, none of whom looked more than fifteen. They grew silent in wordless agreement.

"Do you have any idea who else is going to be there?" one of the male pets asked.

"Everybody, I guess. It's a big event."

"I'm assigned to pair with Orin," some really young girl offered. "What do you know about him? You think we'll make a good couple?"

Another girl, slightly older, pouted her shapely lips with disdain.

"Orin?" she chanted in a sweet, tinkling voice. "But he's a wacko! I wouldn't let that guy put a finger on me! I tell you, honey, he grosses me out. Your master couldn't choose a worse partner for you."

The first one looked truly worried. "You really think so? Oh my, it's going to be my first big performance. It just has to come off right."

"Poor dear," the older girl pitied her good-heartedly. "Try asking your master to choose someone else. Maybe he'll agree."

The younger pet's pink head dropped. "I don't think he will. It's too late already."

If she'd looked up at that moment, she would have seen the other girl's malicious smile.

For a while there was silence at the table. Riki and Katze were just passing by. Then:

"Hey, have you seen those two? Gah!"

It was uttered in a loud, agitated whisper. The following words got more quiet and Katze couldn't discern them. After a few moments the table company broke into high-pitched laughter. Riki shook his head.

"Those birdbrains. Can you imagine I had to spend three years listening to their stupid conversations? They are so conceited. Thinking that being pure-bred Academy freaks makes them better than everybody else. They are oh-so-sweet, but they'd scratch each other's eyes out if they could."

"Hey, you don't have to tell me," Katze observed. "I know all about them, remember?"

"At least no one tries to dress you in those stupid clothes and put you down on their pillows," Riki grumbled.

"I take it you'd rather be a furniture, huh? Get your cock cut off and wipe those little sissies' asses."

The mongrel wrinkled his nose. "Nah."

Katze smirked bitterly under his breath. "Actually, you can't blame pets for what they are. Imagine if they were created smarter. If they were able to think about their future, if they had ambitions other than to show the best public screwing. They would quickly come to the conclusion that their lives are doomed. Because they are. They'd go nuts. They wouldn't be as cheerful and sweet as they are now. Who'd want such pets?"

Riki shook his head. "Man, this world is fucked up."

It sure as hell is, Katze thought, but kept silent. They reached the end of the balcony and leaned against the ledge, finishing their smokes. Another group of pets was approaching.

"Have you seen Ameth's new hairstyle? It's so ridiculous."

"Yeah, he's boasting about it to everybody. It's supposed to be this new fashion."

"Everyone's laughing at him."

"Have you heard what Isme said? That he looks like an unfortunate mistake of a loony artist."

They walked away, giggling.

"I hate them anyway," Riki moaned.

They spent another half an hour standing there, discussing the black market, trying to ignore the pets passing them, discussing their garments. And Ameth's hairstyle, and sex. And sometimes throwing out some whispered comments about the 'filthy mongrel' and the 'red-haired weirdo' standing by the ledge.

Katze was finishing his second cigarette when Riki asked casually:

"And the hacker problem? How's it going?"

The dealer winced unhappily. "Don't ask."

"That bad? But I heard you had a lead."

"Old news, Riki. It was a dead end and nothing new has come up since then." He glanced at his cigarette thoughtfully. "Maybe I overlooked something, I don't know. I tried everything I could think of. How the hell do you find a guy when you've got nothing but his general appearance and one not too specific detail. No name, not even his nick. No associates, no other traces. How come was I supposed to find a phantom like that?"

Riki shrugged. "I dunno."

For a moment Katze wondered how much the kid knew and if it was safe to tell him – he wasn't any black market big shot after all. Ah, screw it, sure it was safe. The brat was trustworthy. And the case probably lost anyway.

"But maybe you know him," he offered ironically, "Green-haired guy of about thirty. Tall, slim, short hair. With a tattoo on his right hand. That's all we have."

Riki scratched his nose and asked offhandedly. "What tattoo?"

"I don't exactly know. Something longish. With a pattern. A zigzag or something."

The mongrel thought for a moment. "Zigzag, you mean, like on a snake?"

Katze frowned considering it. "Yeah, could be."

"And this tattoo was only on his hand or also on his arm and shoulder?"

"Not sure. The guy had his jacket on," he glanced questioningly at the youth, a thrill suddenly tugging at his guts. "Riki, have you seen something like that?"

"On a green-haired, tall guy of about thirty? Actually, yes," the mongrel grinned widely. "Remember that guy Viper, the one you sent me to with the Accelerator? It sounds like him."

Katze felt his hand clench on the rail.

"Shit," he cursed. With a sharp movement he tossed the cigarette over the ledge, then forgetting about Riki at once, turned on his heel and hurried inside.

Riki stared after him, wide-eyed.

* * *

"So you see, just theoretically, such a mongrel would make a perfect pet," Raoul said contentedly to the small group of elites settled comfortably on the suite of sofas and armchairs.

Katze stopped at the balcony door, looking at the Blondie incredulously. What was this poor bastard doing?

The repast was over. The guests were again scattered all around the room. Raoul stood beside the sofa, towering happily over the others and playing with his glass.

"You're forgetting one thing, Raoul. A pet can't be castrated. Pets' main purpose is to entertain their masters, mainly by copulating in front of them. A castrate would be completely out of place in such a situation."

Raoul gave out a short, dry laughter. "Oh, come now, Aisha, don't tell me that castrates can't copulate."

Katze couldn't bear listening to it any longer. And he had a more important thing to take care of. He stepped towards the group.

"Well, of course they can," the Blondie Aisha agreed. "But I don't think watching a eunuch copulating would be very amusing."

"Or maybe it would," someone teased. "Just not in the way you mean."

The group hummed with soft elite laughter. The sound faded, however, when Katze approached. Raoul shifted his questioning gaze to him. The dealer stopped beside the Blondie, turning half away from the others and trying to ignore the weight of their stares on his shoulders.

"We have to talk, Raoul," he said in a low voice.

The biologist gave him a disapproving glance. "Now? Please, Katze, can't you see I'm busy?"

"I _can_ see," Katze murmured spitefully. "But it's important. Business matters."

"Katze, we're at a party! Put business aside."

Katze rolled his eyes and leaned even closer, practically whispering into Raoul's ear.

"It's about the hacker. I think we've got him. Please."

The Blondie drew in a quick breath, but that was his only visible reaction. His gaze switched back to his audience.

"Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me," he gave the others an apologetic smile. "Business turned out to be more important after all."

With that he turned and moved away. Katze followed him silently. At least now those guys might start believing that he really was the Blondie's assistant, the dealer thought with bitter humor.

They stopped in the nearest recess, all groups of people distant enough for them not to be heard.

"How?" Raoul asked.

"I was talking with Riki. And just by accident it turned out that the brat met our guy while running one of my black market affairs. This tattoo, Raoul, was a snake. The man contacted me a while ago to buy some stuff from me. You know what that means?"

Raoul frowned. "That we now have not only the guy, but the guy on a string. Since he had business with you, it will be easy to trail his connections. We won't have to grope around him, we know where to look. We'll investigate where this order came from and who stands behind the bastard. If we are lucky, it may even lead us to the very core of the case."

Katze grinned at him. "Exactly."

Raoul was momentarily flooded by happiness at seeing the knowing, shrewd expression on his mongrel's face. So, no grudge anymore. He hoped so.

"Listen now," the dealer said. "I can't just sit here, watching all this crap, knowing that the answer is waiting for me at home. I'd like to take off already. Hope you don't mind."

"I don't. I'm going with you."

Katze looked at him. "No need to, Raoul, really."

"But I want to. I won't be able to just sit here either. We'll go."

So Katze just nodded and they went to find the party's hosts.

Excusing themselves to Kano was a hard task. The man expressed his deep discontent with their departure and for a few long minutes pestered them to stay, at least for the pet show. Finally Raoul bought them out, promising the Platina he'd meet him some other time soon. They left through the back door, sparing themselves endless courtesies with the others. A moment later they were in the elevator. Raoul signaled for the limo, pressing a little button on his Blondie's bracelet.

"What were you doing up there?" Katze offered around the quiet hum of the lift. "Trying to bury your reputation?"

Raoul turned to him, his gaze questioning, and only after a moment was it replaced by understanding.

"Oh, we were just having a little theoretical discussion. They started. Each one boasting about their pet, so I decided to put them on the spot." He looked at the dealer's frowning face. "What? You care?"

"I don't," Katze answered quickly. "I just don't want to get burned because of your big mouth."

The Blondie surprised him with low, sensual laughter. No more words were spoken.

The elevator stopped and they stepped into the parking lot. The car had already pulled up on the driveway. They got in. The Blondie turned to Katze and looked at him, fervor in his eyes.

"Katze," he spoke in an even, firm voice. "May I kiss you?"

The dealer frowned at him. "Since when do you need my permission?"

Raoul considered that. "Right."

He grabbed Katze's face in both hands, pulled him close and pressed their lips together. It wasn't a passionate kiss – Raoul didn't kiss passionately. It was merely the clumsily enthusiastic kiss of euphoria. After a few moments the dealer pushed himself away, unable to suppress a nervous snigger.

"Hey, stop it! You're crushing me."

Raoul was grinning maniacally, but let him go.

"Drive," he gave a short order.

Katze pressed a few buttons on the control panel and the car glided from the lot.

* * *

Back in the condo, they headed straight for Katze's room. The dealer threw off his jacket and sat at the terminal right away. He turned it on and waited for it to be ready to operate. His fingers played an impatient, hasty rhythm on the panel next to the keyboard, as if preparing for work they were about to do. Raoul could feel a strange intensity radiating from the mongrel.

He looked around for a chair and spotted it in one of the corners. He pulled it up to where Katze sat in front of the screen. The dealer cast him a sidelong glance.

"Just thought maybe I could help you somehow."

"I don't think so," Katze said, and only after a moment remembered to show the proper respect. "Don't get me wrong, Raoul, but I know what to do."

Intensity and self-confidence, the Blondie corrected himself. Was Katze always like this when he was hacking?

"Well, I'm sure. But it's too important a matter for me to just go to my room and do my things."

The computer signaled that it was ready. The dealer turned to the monitor with a short shrug. "As you wish. But it might take a while."

"How long?"

Another shrug. While the hands were already tapping the keys, starting programs, getting through to the net. Katze's eyes reflected the glow of the screen.

"Up to a few hours, I guess. It depends."

"I'll wait."

"I suggest you change into something more suitable then. Maybe get a book... It really won't be very interesting."

But Raoul just shook his head firmly. "I'll wait."

After an hour, however, when he finally admitted he indeed wouldn't be of much help, he decided that changing out of his rather uncomfortable evening ensemble was a good idea. As well as the book.

He left Katze's room, but was back as fast as he could, fearing that the dealer might have found an answer in the meantime. But Katze was still sitting as he had been when Raoul was leaving, so apparently nothing new had occurred. The Blondie settled himself back in his chair and started reading, but after another half an hour decided that Katze's bed was a better place for him.

He sat on the mattress. Ugh, it wasn't too comfortable. A strange thought flashed in his mind that from the beginning of his stay here Katze had never had a chance to sleep in this bed. Unless of course he sometimes slept during the day.

It wasn't long before he reasoned that the prone position was more convenient than sitting one and laid down on his side, propping his head on one hand.

He continued reading. Katze continued hacking. Hours passed. The ventilation hummed quietly, inhaling the cigarette smoke.

It probably got dark outside, Raoul couldn't tell since there was no window in Katze's room. He checked the time on his bracelet. 22:17. Jupiter, it was taking long. He yawned and went back to his book.

Soon the letters started to blur and his head became heavy. He decided that making himself more horizontal – the bed comfortable or not – was definitely a tempting solution. He could rest, just for a few minutes, before starting the next chapter. He closed the book and put his head down, stretching his back with delight. He let reality slip away.

Next thing he knew, his name was being called from a distance and someone was shaking his shoulder.

"Raoul, wake up."

He reluctantly opened his eyes to see slanting, amber slits glinting down at him. His memory came back in an instant. Katze's room, the terminal, their lead... the answer? He sat up abruptly.

"Did you find it?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"You won't like it."

He got up and sat in Katze's chair in front of the screen. He stared at it for a long moment, not quite getting what he saw. There was a lot of it, many display boxes opened, each of them full of text and numbers. He would have to read it all to fully understand it. But as he quickly ran his eyes over some of the data, one thing became clear.

"I don't believe it," Raoul whispered.

One name stared at him from among the texts and numbers in most of the boxes. The name was Shisei Kano.


	7. Chapter 7

(Language corrections by Shayne and Phaedra7veils.)

**Chapter 7**

Huge floor-to-ceiling windows in Raoul's study offered a good view of the regular lights of nighttime Tanagura. Beyond it was the garish, chaotic glow of Midas that adhered to it like a parasite.

Katze admired the picture, his feet just a few inches away from the illusory gulf. Daylight timidly crept into the sky, but there was still quite a lot of time before it would gain advantage over the darkness. Yet, the lights in the room were off. Only a small desk lamp was lit. It illuminated the side of the monitor and Raoul's morose face.

"I won't let him get away with that," the Blondie spoke after long minutes of silence.

"We both know that much. So what are you planning to do?"

A few more silent moments. Then:

"First I need to see it with my own eyes. I have to be absolutely certain that we are not mistaken. Then... I will destroy it with my own hands."

Katze turned to glance at him. The Blondie sat in his characteristic closed-off pose, his arms wrapped around his chest. Golden waves of hair fell over the back of the chair. With sharp shades of light and shadow playing on his face and figure he looked deadly serious... and menacing.

"You want to raid the place?" Katze asked.

"I don't see any other option."

The official information about Shisei Kano planning to set up his own research lab wasn't quite true. Kano already had his lab. Kept as top secret, it was situated in Her Bay – the most prominent district of Midas. Katze had managed to get the labs' exact bearings. It was located in a huge trade tower complex. Rented under a false name for false purposes, it occupied a few underground levels. The guise worked perfectly – it was extremely hard to get through all the smokescreens Kano had created. If one wasn't looking, one would never find it.

"I'm going to need your skills again, Katze," Raoul spoke in an even, stern voice. "I need you to hack the complex's intranet, find out as much as you can about its security systems, alarms, cameras, the management of electronic devices – like doors for example, possibly get plans for underground. Everything you can find. Will you do it for me?"

Katze was staring into the night over the glass.

"Of course, that's what I'm here for."

"Good. Do it as fast as you can. Will a day be enough?"

"Should be."

"Great," there was a quiet threat in Raoul's voice.

"Should I start working already?"

He heard a soft rustle as the Blondie turned his armchair to watch him. He lifted his head to meet the biologist's gaze.

"It's four in the morning, Katze," Raoul's voice was more like what Katze was used to – warmer, more gentle. "No more work today. We're going to bed."

He sucked in his breath, his muscles tensing on reflex. And cursed himself for being so readable. Not that the reaction was strong, but after a few hours of maximum output, he was just too worn out to hide it. Raoul smiled without humor, studying him for a moment.

"No sex tonight, Katze. I'm too tired. And I think you are even more so. Come on, let's get some rest." He got up and gestured the dealer towards the door.

* * *

The comm unit was buzzing impatiently. Iason peered at the number, feeling the pulse in his wrist beat fast. Too fast. He didn't like this reaction. He half closed his eyes and relaxed his face, determined not to show any of his emotions. Then forced his finger to evenly press the button.

"Katze."

The redhead nodded at him from the screen and spoke without preamble:

"You know the situation already, don't you?"

"Yes."

Raoul had passed him the news earlier that day. Katze's discoveries were hardly comforting. For Raoul mostly, but for him as well – he was, after all, the second biggest investor in this project. Shisei Kano with his sharp mind and big ambitions could be a very dangerous opponent. Even worse, he was Raoul's business partner. Having a partner messing with him was a serious blow for the biologist's position as a leader.

They had both agreed – Kano had to be taken care of. Fast.

"Then you also know Raoul's plans," Katze took up.

"Yes."

On-screen, the redhead lit a cigarette. His eyes left Iason for a moment – gold irises reflecting the gold flame licking the smoke – then came back up. Their narrow lines revealed nothing in particular, but only now did it occur to Iason that they looked as if they were permanently hiding some irony or... passion.

_Did you have sex with him last night? How was it? Did you face him, or did he take you from behind? How many times?_

Iason shuddered as the thought appeared unexpectedly in his mind. Damn, what was that?

"We want to do it tomorrow night," the mongrel went on. "We'll need a few men for that. I'd like to take Riki."

Iason stirred. "Why Riki?"

"He's one of the best. And currently in the city."

Currently in the city. Right. Always in the city. The Blondie couldn't help a little smirk.

"I see."

Katze inhaled the smoke, his features relaxing. He left the cigarette between his lips and started explaining Iason the details of the plan. The Blondie tried to listen, but soon his thoughts took their own direction.

_How does he do you, Katze? In what position? What are you thinking about when he's inside you? Do you return his caresses... does he caress you? How much can you feel, Katze?_

"Iason," Katze's sharp voice broke into his consciousness.

Iason blinked and shook his head. Jupiter, what was happening to him? These thoughts weren't his. Couldn't be. They surfaced in his head without his permission. He wasn't controlling them.

"I apologize, I was... thinking."

"So I see."

"So, you were saying—"

"I asked if I can take him."

Iason frowned. "Is it dangerous?"

"Not really. Maybe a little more dangerous than usual, that's why I ask you. But, like I said, we are planning to enter the place in the night. There will be just a couple of security guards. We should handle them without problem. Then everything's up to Raoul. We are just guarding him."

"All right then, you have my permission."

"Thanks," Katze's lips curled slightly. He hesitated for a moment, but then continued. "By the way, Iason, you've heard that Riki was the key factor in this case." Iason nodded. "I'm glad that he didn't lose his reflexes. You have a smart pet, Iason."

The Blondie allowed a little smile on his face. "I know."

_How do you feel when he does it to you?_ These words threatened to escape his lips and he bit them back at the last moment.

"Katze?"

"Yes?"

"How... are things going? With you and Raoul, I mean."

The dealer's mouth opened, but for a long while he said nothing. The cigarette dangled from his lower lip.

"Um... good, I think. Everything is quite all right."

It was hardly enough. 'All right'. What did he mean by 'all right'? The answer was as good as none. Iason needed... _had_ to hear more. And he felt that Katze's words weren't quite true. But he just couldn't ask. Not now, not like that.

"I'm glad," he said dryly.

He disconnected quickly and fell back in his chair. His hand reached for the drawer where he kept his smokes, but stopped when he suddenly remembered Riki's words. _You hardly ever smoke. Usually when something's on your mind._ Katze was on his mind. Dammit.

He closed his eyes and let his mind work through the problem. Two months – that was the deal. And most of that time had already passed. Katze's black market affairs were going smoothly. Whatever happened between those two, it didn't affect the dealer's excellent performance. Did it mean that Iason would have to give him away? There were only two weeks left, it was close and... he didn't want to.

These last few days made him realize how fond he'd grown of having the redhead around. He'd always thought that it was only about work, but now he knew it wasn't. For the last couple of years he and Katze had called each other at least twice a week. And met personally at least twice a month. During the last month they'd only talked twice and – save for Kano's party – hadn't met at all. And the business thrived. So... why had they spent time together before? Why had they talked to each other so often?

Iason didn't need to dig deep into his Blondie's soul to know the answer. It was the silent adoration he saw in the dealer's eyes that made it so convenient, so... gratifying. Katze belonged to him, and he liked that.

Only he hadn't realized it back then, when he'd made his deal with Raoul.

What had made him realize it now?

Raoul's words ringed in his head. _To see him, lying like that beneath you... He gets nothing out of this, but he is there, he holds you with his arms, he opens his legs for you. It makes me feel... important. I love the thought of him surrendering to me like that._

The thought was fascinating. What would it be like to feel that the person who shared your bed did so out of pure devotion for you? Iason knew he would receive such devotion from Katze. The redhead would endure anything for him, he would be happy about it. And it was the very thing he desired most – and never received – from Riki.

Face it, Iason Mink, he told himself, you're experiencing an unhealthy attraction to your former furniture.

* * *

Next night, Her Bay, 22:30

Dream City Tower had closed its doors to customers half an hour ago. Cars of staff members and employees of lease-holding companies were leaving the tower parking lots one by one. Yet, none of the night-shift guards were especially surprised when a small delivery van requested passage through the main gate in the opposite direction.

The red-haired driver showed his permit to the tower officer and briefly explained the purpose of the visit. The only thing that surprised the guard a bit was the fact that the man in the passenger seat looked like a Blondie. But he didn't try to ask questions. After all, who dared to question Blondies' actions? If one of them wanted to work as a supplier, then so be it.

The car passed through and slowly glided down the ramp, descending towards the lower level of the lot. None of the guards gave it any more thought.

_"You can get to the labs from two opposite sides. Each entrance is guarded by one man. Each guard is monitoring everything that goes on in the labs, and in his companion's post. It's a kind of protection – if you want to attack the place, you have to do it from both sides at the same moment, otherwise one of the guards will raise the alarm in the labs and send the message straight to Kano's private terminal."_

The van stopped in the furthest and darkest corner of the lot. If cars could create appearances, this one definitely tried to look inconspicuous and innocent. For a moment nothing happened, then the doors opened and six men scattered from the vehicle. They were dressed in casual, dark clothes, obviously meant for comfort rather than looks. Well, except for one of them – a tall, broad-shouldered blondie who was dressed like... a Blondie.

One of the men, a redhead almost as tall as the blonde, gestured at the rest and they gathered around him.

"I'll ask you one last time. Is everything clear?"

They answered him with nods and confirming murmurs.

"No questions?"

They shook their heads and murmured again.

"Then split up."

The men were apparently well prepared, since they divided into two groups without a word. Two of them stood behind the redhead, the other two behind the blonde. The leaders looked at each other.

"You sure you can handle it, Raoul?"

The blonde looked slightly offended. "Give me a break, Katze, you've been explaining that to me for half a day."

"In any case you've got Riki and Kyle to help."

The blondie's eyelids drifted to half-mast. "I'm sure I'll do just fine without their assistance."

The redhead smiled. "Very well, then. See you in a few."

That said, two groups of men moved in the opposite directions and disappeared through the doors at the opposite ends of the parking lot.

_"You have to take the elevator to get down to the guard's lobby. Of course you won't be admitted if you don't have the authorization code. In that case you have to call and explain to the guard the purpose of your visit. We don't want to do it, therefore we have to disable the elevator ports. After we cope with that, we comm each other."_

Katze winced, staring at the numbers on the display and trying to focus. Breaking the code in such a device was only distantly related to hacking and he didn't trust his skills in this area. He wondered how Raoul was doing – as a beginner, the Blondie would have a tough nut to crack. Well, Katze shrugged a mental shoulder, elites were supposed to be intelligent.

The voices behind him seemed not to give a damn about his psychological comfort.

"What a freakin' pansy. Did ya see his clothes?" Han muttered. "I mean, man, I can understand elites dressing like clowns for everyday shit, but wearin' something like that to raid his pal's joint? What, is he expecting a welcoming committee?"

"He might be dressed like a total loser, but he's cute," Suki snickered. "Hell, don't you feel like jerking off just looking at that pretty face?"

Han didn't seem moved. "Sure he's cute. They all are. But I don't get off on that. I can't imagine a guy like that bein' a bottom. And the tops – they don't turn me on."

"He ain't a top or bottom, you moron," Suki jeered. "Don't you know anything? Elites don't screw around. At all."

"Bullshit. They're alive, aren't they? Who the hell goes without?"

"Shut up already!" Katze snapped at them, casting a sharp glance over his shoulder. "You're distracting me."

"Relax, boss!" Han raised his hands defensively. "We're just killin' time here."

"Try killing it by counting the spots on your noses. Silently."

With that he turned to the panel again. For a while there indeed was silence behind him and he used it frantically to make some progress in his work. He didn't have much time though.

"I don't believe those rumors," Han murmured again. "Imagine a guy in his prime who's not interested in fucking. He'd go insane! Besides, just look at Riki's Blondie. I heard that the guy screws him every night. Every fuckin' night, man! Sometimes more than once. I tell ya, they've got libidos like you wouldn't believe."

Katze punched the key angrily and was about to turn and snap at them again when the port beeped in acceptance. He blinked. He'd made it. And it was that very moment when his wrist comm beeped as well.

"Katze?" he heard Raoul's voice. "I'm done. How about you?"

The dealer raised his brows in surprise. Well, the guy _was_ good.

"Great timing, Blondie," he grinned at the comm. "I was just about to call you. Alright then. We start the lifts fifteen seconds after the moment we disconnect, agreed?"

"Agreed. Begin counting."

And the Blondie disconnected.

_"The thing is to get there at exactly the same moment and take the guards down as soon as the doors open. There's a slight chance that they'll be alarmed seeing the elevator going down. Well, that's the risk. There's another port to disable from either side – the main doors to the labs."_

Suki lowered his stunner. Through the open doors of the lift they could see a big, brightly lit lobby. The wall opposite them was occupied half by the guard's counter, half by the double transparent doors – their main target. Behind the counter, slumped numbly in his chair, sat the unconscious guard.

Katze stepped out of the elevator, followed by his men.

"Check the connections," he ordered, gesturing in the counter's general direction. He moved to the door's port, skirting the entrance from afar not to be spotted in the doorway. He crouched before the panel and assessed it with his gaze.

"It's all right boss," Han informed him after a moment. "The guy never had time to lift a finger."

Katze nodded and activated his comm. "Raoul? How are you doing?"

The Blondie didn't need more to understand what he had in mind. "It's alright. The guard is out. No alarms raised."

Katze whistled quietly. "Well, that was easy."

_"Raoul you'll take Riki and Kyle, I'll take Han and Suki." _

_"You must be joking! You expect me to put up with that mongrel? Why do you want the two of us to split up in the first place?" _

_"Because, Raoul, I think you're the only one of them who can learn in one day how to disable such port." _

_"What!? Don't you have other men who can cope with that?" _

_"A few. All outside Tanagura at the moment." _

_"At least don't group me with that little scum!" _

_"That wouldn't be reasonable. Riki and Kyle have some basic skills when it comes to electronic devices. In any case they can try to help you. Han and Suki are completely dumb in that area." _

_"Ughh." _

"Done!" Raoul exclaimed, triumph in his voice.

"At last," Riki grumbled and stopped pacing. "If you'd listened to me and pressed that stupid button, you'd have been done five minutes ago. You made Katze wait for us."

Raoul turned to him angrily. "If you're so brilliant, mongrel, you should be the one to tinker with this port instead of distracting people with your snide remarks. I'd love to see how well you would do."

Riki folded his arms on his chest and looked down at the squatting Blondie.

"Well, I'm sure I'd do just..."

"Guys, please, knock it off," Kyle cut in. "You've been going at it since we left the boss. If you really want to argue, wait until we're outta here. We've got work to do."

Riki twisted his lips. Raoul rolled his eyes.

"Work. Right."

_"Finally, there's the last guard in our way. He sits inside the labs. Luckily, he can't see what happens outside, so we're safe in the lobbies. The main corridor is full of cameras however. That means one of us will have to do some gymnastics to get to the guard's room. Riki should do, he's the smallest." _

Riki looked skeptically at the suckers attached to his hands and feet.

"Great," he grumbled. "After all the shit I went through, I end up playing spider-man. I wonder if the elites would get hot having a pet crawling over their walls."

"From what I heard, you were bored in Eos," Raoul pointed out. "You should be glad of such a pastime."

"Yeah, glad like hell. If I fall and break my neck, you'll be the one paying."

The Blondie threw his head back, giving a low, sensual laugh. "Oh, I'll be glad to pay if it means I won't have to listen to your foul tongue anymore."

Kyle was crouched by the wall with a small monitor on his lap and his gaze focused on the screen. The device was connected to a miniature spy camera poked in front of the closed door and scanning the corridor. He raised his head and looked at the mongrel.

"It's your moment, Riki. You've got about twenty seconds before the camera turns to the door again. Get in fast."

Raoul put his hand on the scanner, opening the door. "Just remember to stick close to the ceiling, otherwise you'll be noticed."

"Hey, you don't have to tell me, I remember that," Riki bridled and went in. The door closed behind him.

_"He'll put the guard down by letting the soporific in through the ventilation shaft. That's when we go in." _

They were squatting beside the closed door with their backs against the wall. It was five minutes since they'd received a message from Raoul that Riki was in. Soon the mongrel should reach his destination and get his job done. Han and Suki on the other side of the entrance were continuing their dissertation on whether elites had sex or not. Katze tried not to listen.

His comm unit buzzed almost unexpectedly, stirring him to life. Riki's voice sounded joyful.

"Katze, Raoul, the guard is out. Piece of cake."

_"First, we need to get into the guard's cubbyhole, but it should be easy, maybe the door won't even be locked. From his post it's possible unlock all the other doors inside the labs with one switch. No codes needed." _

They met in the middle of the way. From the plans they found in the guard's room they learnt where the main lab was situated. They found it without a problem. The door opened when Raoul put his hand on the scanner. The lights went on the moment they entered. And that was the very moment they knew something had gone very wrong, but were too stunned to do anything about it. The door swooshed closed behind them, muffling the sound of unlocking guns.

Shisei Kano swiveled his chair away from his terminal and smiled at them.

"Raoul, here you are, my friend. It was a great fun watching you."

* * *

There were six people holding guns on them, Raoul counted as he quickly looked around. Real laser guns, not stunners. Kano sat at the huge terminal that occupied half of the wall. Lucius stood beside him, one hand resting on the back of Kano's chair, the other armed as well. All in all, eight people against six, laser guns against stunners.

"You mentioned something about a welcoming committee," the Blondie's ear caught a quiet, spiteful murmur from behind. And then another voice he'd never heard before:

"Hello, little pet. So nice to see you again."

Something in the hissing sound of these words made him look back again. He wasn't surprised seeing a tall, green-haired man. A dark, sleeveless tank top exposed the guy's muscular shoulders and an impressive snake tattoo decorating them and coiling around his right arm.

Viper was grinning wickedly at Riki, but the mongrel only cast one glance in his direction and ignored him. Raoul turned back to the terminal. Only now – as if deliberately giving them time to asses the situation – did Kano speak.

"I'd be very pleased if you put these stunners of yours down. They make me feel uncomfortable."

Reluctantly, they did as they were told. No one tried to play hero against the obvious odds.

"Just kick them away a bit," the Platina went on with his polite instructions. "We don't want them to tempt you. Very good, thank you," he sent them a dry smile and finally focused his gaze on Raoul. "Now, Raoul, I don't think you wanted to talk to me, given that you paid a visit to my labs after hours, but since we're both here, maybe you'd like to ask me a few questions. I'll gladly give you the answers."

Only now did Raoul's mind regain its clarity. And with that came the realization – damn, this wasn't good. They were in a great deal of trouble. But there was also curiosity. And asking questions, when you were so kindly offered the answers, was a good way to play for time.

"How did you know?" he asked then, already guessing what he would hear.

Kano chuckled contentedly. "Oh, Raoul, I knew you wouldn't be able to resist a little talk. Well," he got more serious, "don't forget, my friend, that you discovered the truth at my party. Your sudden departure stirred my curiosity. I asked Parthea's security service for the records from the reception. They handed them to me without a problem. Thus I overheard your conversation. I put two and two together and figured who your red-haired assistant really is. Not only one of the most prominent black market brokers, but also a tremendously talented hacker – the ex-furniture who tried his hand with our dear [Lambda] 3000 herself. And almost succeeded. That's when I knew you'd find us. And it was an easy guess what you would do. So I decided to let you in and talk with you. You think you'd have gotten in so easily if I haven't made it that way for you?"

"So what now?"

"We'll talk," Kano shrugged lightly. "Hopefully, I'll manage to convince you that there is no point in excesses like calling the police or trying to mess with my plans. Once we've made our positions clear to each other, I'll let you go. If you refuse to accept my arguments however... well, I really wouldn't like to raise my hand against such an important man as Raoul Am."

Raoul studied the Platina with his gaze. "Your arguments, such as?"

"Very simple. Your black market affairs."

The Blondie slitted his eyes, anger slowly building in him. Kano smiled.

"It wasn't difficult to find out about them, you know. Much easier than to get hold of the Special Breed data."

"How did you find out about the Special Breed in the first place? Even as an associate you shouldn't know about it. Where did this whole idea come from?"

Kano sent Raoul an affectionate gaze. "So, you want to hear the whole story."

"I definitely want the whole story."

The Platina looked critically around. "Oh, but the arrangements are awful. And I am so inhospitable. Not even asking my guest to sit down."

Listening to him, Raoul decided that Kano's mocking tone definitely bugged him. But he could bear it. At the moment he first of all needed to feed his curiosity.

"Well, come down here, Raoul," Kano gestured at him and got up from his chair.

The Blondie accepted the invitation silently. He came up to the two elites and took the seat Kano offered. Lucius stepped back, aiming at him. Shisei sent his lover an exaggerated look of disapproval.

"Why, Lucius, you are so hostile towards our guest."

The Sapphire apparently lacked Kano's dramatic touch as he simply kept silent. Shisei turned to Raoul, leaning against the panel.

"Why did I do it? Ambition, I suppose. Personally I don't have anything against you, Raoul. I respect you as a great biologist. But it pisses me off that you, Blondies, are given all those privileges and Jupiter's favors only because of the color of your hair. I mean, what is that? Some kind of racism? Your parameters are no better than those of other elites – neither body nor mind. So, I ask you, why? I've lived my entire life accepting this status quo. It was only Lucius who made me realize that it doesn't have to be that way. That I don't have to succumb to that."

From his place, out of the corner of his eye, Raoul had a good view of Katze and the others, standing nearby the door. And suddenly he caught a faint stir from that direction.

"He gave me the idea to start my own research," Kano continued. "My knowledge of biology is sufficient to handle that. But I needed something what would make me visible. An explosive introduction, if you know what I mean. And then – quite by accident – I came across your experiment. How – does it matter? Believe me that as your associate I had plenty of opportunities to find out that such a project existed. Papers you tend to leave on your desk, shreds of conversations on the corridors... I figured it was exactly what I needed. But how to get it? That's where Lucius was invaluable. I believe I mentioned to you that he's a great computer expert. I wonder who, he or your red-haired mongrel, would prove better in direct competition. It was Lucius who worked out your unbreakable system, Raoul. The man, Viper, was just an executor. He's one of Lucius' old acquaintances from Daars, apparently quite a good hacker himself, but with that matter he only followed my friend's instructions."

Raoul glanced at Lucius. The Sapphire gave him a cold smile.

"So you see, we took every precaution not to be discovered. We assumed that it would take your people more time to detect the break-in and much more time to figure out which data was stolen. At best, we hoped that they won't figure it out at all. You were not supposed to find that dirty net café. And, if by any means you did, it was practically impossible for you to associate our green-haired man with anyone you know. We were extremely unlucky that your friend turned out to be the same man Viper dealt with back then. But who could predict something like that?"

Not turning his gaze from Kano, Raoul continued to observe his men. Riki blinked at Han, who after a moment passed the sign to Kyle.

"And now we've come to the last part of our plan," the Platina went on. "The most ironic one, I would say. In addition to the big entry we were preparing, we were planning to use you. Thus our new alliance." Kano looked at the Blondie seriously. "You discovered our plot too early, Raoul. We hoped you'd vouch for the new line of my company here and there and win some important associates for us before we'd introduce the Special Breed to the market. Then you'd naturally withdraw your support but I don't think you would have told anyone the real reason for it."

The words didn't move Raoul as much as they should. Actually, they didn't even surprise him after all he had already heard.

"What?" he drawled. "Did you plan to use your black market arguments again, Shisei?"

"Exactly. This, plus I was counting on your Blondie pride. I don't think you'd be eager to admit publicly that you were cheated and defeated by an inferior."

Indeed, wasn't that an accurate guess?

Raoul's eye kept catching very interesting glimpses of the proceedings over by the door. Katze turned his head minimally and nodded at Suki. Suki nodded back. The Blondie kept his face blank. Lucius, he thought. What were they going to do about Lucius? The guy was too far...

"You do realize that our cooperation is canceled," he said to Kano. "You may cross the Center off the list of your clients."

Shisei's lips twisted in mock regret. "But of course. That's a pity but I knew that would be the price. Well, I believe we'll get by somehow without it. Our new revolutionary scientific project should more than compensate for it. By the way, as you probably guessed, we've already started the experiment. It's going perfectly."

The Platina turned to the panel and tapped on the keyboard. A file opened on the screen. The file Raoul knew so well. The Blondie swallowed with a strange feeling.

"I must say this project is a masterpiece of yours," Kano murmured with appreciation, eyes glued to the screen. "When I first saw it, I was speechless. I spent long hours staring at it, admiring it... trying to understand all the nuances. It's brilliant."

Raoul frowned, studying the data. "You changed the imprint."

"Of course I did! Please, Raoul, do you think I'm an idiot? And let me tell you something. My trademark is already listed in the Federation's official registers. You can't turn it back anymore."

And that was the very moment they struck. Raoul didn't see exactly what was happening. Nor was he watching. He had other things to do. Digging his heels into the ground, he pushed strongly. His chair shot backwards and before Kano had time to even look away from the screen, it hit Lucius, throwing him off balance. Raoul leapt up and grabbed the Sapphire by his waist. The sound of laser fire and a few screams came from the other end of the room. He wrenched the gun from Raimi's hand, twisted him over his hip and threw him on the ground, backing away quickly. When he aimed the gun at Lucius, the room was silent again.

Kano stared wide-eyed at him. Then over him.

"Good job, Blondie," someone said. "That was the one thing we didn't know how to handle."

Raoul felt his lips curve. A pansyish Blondie, huh? Who would have thought? Only now did he allow himself a quick glance over his shoulder. Four of Kano's thugs lay unconscious on the ground, two others were held at gunpoint by Katze's men.

How about now, Shisei? – a sneering thought surfaced in his mind.

He was just opening his mouth to throw some witty remark at the Platina, when the sound of a shot broke the silence and in the same instant something hit him hard in the back. The world whirled around him and the floor rose up to meet his face. He managed to turn, avoiding the head-on collision, and thumped on his side. Something heavy fell on top of him, pinning him to the ground. For an instant he lay stunned. Raised voices reached him from afar. Then he became aware of two things. First – he was still clenching the gun in his hand, he hadn't dropped it. And the second – there was no pain, he wasn't hurt.

The thing on him moved aside and he turned around to get a look at it. The soles of black leather boots stared him in the face. Then, as he glanced down, along his body, the rest of the small, black-clad figure came into view. What was it? Some flying kick? Another trick from Ceres' repertoire? He snorted with indignation while Riki lifted himself from the ground.

"Always watch your back, Blondie," the mongrel grumbled. "Not even you are laser-proof."

He got to his feet and looked around on impulse. Lucius still stood as he had, guarded by Katze's gun. He found his would-be assassin in the corner beside the door. The snake on the man's shoulders seemed animated as he wriggled angrily in Kyle's strong grip.

"Had another one we didn't notice," Kyle gestured with a gun he'd apparently wrenched from Viper's hand. He pushed the green-haired hacker to the ground and pointed the gun at him. "Try it, scum, and you're dead."

Raoul could swear that he heard Viper's furious growl.

He smoothed his clothes, trying to regain his dignity. Well, well, it seemed that Riki had saved his life. How unexpected.

"Your mongrels are good, aren't they?"

He looked at Kano. The Platina was pouting with contempt.

"Yes, they are," he admitted. "Now." He paced slowly towards the other elite. His spirit, tattered a bit by Riki's boots, was returning in the face of the impending triumph. "Things look completely different when the odds are on our side, don't they? More like I wanted them to look in the first place." He stopped before Kano and looked him in the eyes. "And your black market arguments don't seem so convincing anymore. I mean – if I destroy the experiment now, will you start a war with me just for vengeance? I don't think so." He was aware that his smile was very unpleasant and he liked that. "So, I can't see anything that would stop me from doing it. Take me to the breed, Kano."

A long moment passed in silence and complete stillness. Kano stared at Raoul defiantly. The Blondie sighed.

"Look at Katze. Look where his gun is directed. You think he'll hesitate if I tell him to shoot?"

Kano's eyes narrowed, fury now visible inside them. The blue irises shifted slightly and looked over Raoul. For a moment they stayed like that, calculating. Then Shisei's jaw clenched.

"All right. Let's go," he said. His voice was exactly like his eyes – cool outside, furious underneath. He didn't meet Raoul's gaze when he pushed himself away from the terminal. He turned quickly and headed for the door. The Blondie followed him. He heard Katze giving quick orders:

"Lucius, you go first. Just please, don't try anything. Riki, you're coming with us, you'll help me with him in any case. Rest of you guys stay here and keep an eye on them."

* * *

They descended one level on the elevator, then walked down an identical corridor until they stopped before a big, metal door. Kano placed his hand on the scanner and the door hummed open. They entered, the lamps switching on automatically... and stopped. They stared incredulously at the picture before them.

"Holy shit!" Riki exclaimed.

"Jupiter," Raoul moaned.

"The Accelerator," Katze growled.

The sight that met their eyes on the opposite side of the room was not a row of incubators with six week old human embryos. It was several growth chambers, each one holding a fully developed child's body around the four-year mark.

Kano cast a slightly surprised glance at Raoul.

"You didn't expect that, did you?" Slowly his lips twisted into a smile. "They are beautiful, aren't they? The experiment worked, Raoul, I can say it already. They are healthy and exactly the way you wanted them."

The last piece of the puzzle jumped into place in Raoul's mind. It wasn't just a coincidence that Viper had bought the growth speeder thus marking his way to be tracked. Oh no, it would be too beautiful. He had ordered exactly the stuff his boss needed.

The Blondie peered at the pets, fascinated.

"Damn, Kano, how much of that thing did you use on them? It was a great risk."

"A lot. And yes, it was a risk. But you are forgetting one thing, Raoul. It was the only way I could be ahead of you. I had nothing to lose."

"Indeed," Raoul murmured, one more thing becoming clear in his head.

Of course. Why would a person steal – and begin – someone else's experiment if they wouldn't have a chance to finish it on time? The question now seemed obvious. And the answer had been staring them clear in the face since the moment they found out about Viper. They could have guessed. But then, would it have changed anything if they had?

He slowly walked to the apparatus. There were twenty chambers in the lab – he knew it without counting. They all stood on the platform occupying two walls of the room, a huge control panel before it. Thousands of buttons, control lights, numerous gauges and monitors indicated just how complicated and strictly controlled the procedure was.

"They are almost ready," Kano said. "In a month I would have shown them to the world. They were my greatest hope."

"Your greatest hope, Shisei? Someone else's achievement? Would that have satisfied your ambitions?"

The remark must have hit a nerve, as there was no answer.

Raoul stopped in front of the first tube in the row. He stared at the creature inside. Jupiter, it was beautiful. They all were. Not even the way he'd imagined. Better. Their price would reach an astronomical level within a week. Kano would become a billionaire. Would have.

He moved along the line, studying each pet closely.

Their fair skin was slightly opalescent – flashed pink, blue or violet when looked at from the right angle. The bone structure of their faces and bodies was flawless. Perfect – it was the best word to describe them. But it wasn't their beauty, nor their skin that made them so special. Most pets nowadays were flawlessly beautiful and experiments with skin color were nothing new either. It was the original non-human genes that had been added to the genome of each of them. After many years of experiments Raoul had finally discovered how to combine the genes of different species in a way to avoid side effects and deformations, how to predict – and control – the interactions to be able create a completely new fenotype. The Special Breed was the final test of his hypotheses. Now he saw they were correct.

The pets were all different within the breed – each two of them having the same specific feature but varying by sex. There was a mermaid boy-and-girl set with fish tails instead of legs, alongside both gills and lungs for breathing water and air. There was an 'angel' couple with wings as an extra pair of limbs and bones hollow like those of birds. There was also a cat-like pair with elven-pointed ears, vertical irises in their slanted eyes and senses several times stronger than a human's.

Half of those unique features could not be seen, but it didn't matter. Raoul knew them all, could recite them by heart.

He halted in the middle of the row in front of the mermaid girl and had to stifle a sudden urge to raise his hand and touch the transparent surface of the chamber. It was his work, _his own_ work, not Kano's.

"So you've won," Shisei's voice reached him from behind, strangely bitter. "Now you'll kill them and it will be your right. But I tell you what, Raoul. It was worth trying. I sure had a great time watching them grow and playing this game with you."

Raoul gritted his teeth, not turning to the Platina. Slowly, he passed the corner and moved towards this very particular spot on the panel. He knew the apparatus to the smallest button. It was the same equipment as in his own labs, Kano wasn't his supplier for nothing. Considering how incredibly complicated the procedure of pets' maintenance was, cutting off their life support was ridiculously easy. Just enter your authorization code and press a single switch, that's all. Raoul put his hand on the keypad. In a way, he thought, it was good they'd met their traitor here. It'd spare them the trouble of tinkering with yet another device.

"Hey, you don't have to do that!" Riki exclaimed in his typical aggressively accented Ceres voice. "We can take them with us. Call for transport, move them to your lab. You'll make your money off them anyway."

"He can't," Katze growled, his voice low and frustrated.

Right. Katze knew something about the business.

"Why?"

"Because there's a trademark of Kano's labs imprinted in their genome."

"Whaddaya mean?"

"Every bioengineering company has its unique trademark," Raoul explained, still staring at the panel. "A sequence of amino acids that can be added to the product's genome without affecting its features. It's just there, marking it. Every time a new pet is created, it's imprinted in the stem cells before fertilization. So in effect every cell of the pet's body has it, it's impossible to remove it. It doesn't really matter who sells you the product. It's the imprint that matters. It's the sign of the lab which created it."

Riki was silent. Raoul smiled bitterly.

"So, Kano? Give me that code. I don't have to threaten you with Lucius' life again, do I?"

They didn't wait long. Kano recited the row of ten digits. Did it just seem to Raoul or was the Platina's voice shaking? The Blondie entered the code as it was spoken. He moved his hand to the switch and stopped it there. He raised his eyes to the beautiful creatures in the tubes.

His creation. He was destroying his own creation, no matter that Kano was the doer.

But... even if it wasn't his creation... He studied the girl before him. Her eyes were closed, but the minimal flicker of her eyelids proved that her little brain was working. Her chest rose and fell steadily. A sudden memory flashed in Raoul's mind.

_They are humans._

_They are pets._

_They are human pets._

In spite of all the mutations they were still human. Raoul felt as if something squeezed his throat.

Stop these stupid thoughts, Blondie, he scolded himself. You can't allow yourself to be sentimental. You can't be weak. There are millions of credits waiting for you. And for Iason. And for the others. There is your Blondie pride on the line.

There are those beautiful children at your mercy. Twenty, perfectly healthy children.

His head turned of its own volition. His gaze searched for the certain amber eyes. And found them, staring right back at him. Katze didn't move when their gazes met. His face remained perfectly still. And what else did Raoul expect? A nod? A shake of head? No, the redhead was too smart to suggest anything to him in such a situation. Only... why did this golden gaze seem so intense? Why did this blank face seem so full of expression? Why did it seem to reflect exactly what Raoul felt?

His hand dropped. Dammit.

He turned to the group, not wanting to look at the pets anymore. Katze's eyes widened. Only now was the Blondie able to see anything beyond them. He noticed Kano's perplexed face. And a smile slowly forming on his lips.

"You couldn't do it," the Platina whispered. And then louder. "You couldn't do it." There was a laugh rising in his voice. Lucius in Katze's grip smiled as well.

Unable to speak, Raoul came up to them. He stopped in front of Kano and met his gaze. The other man sneered.

"Raoul, Raoul, I should have known. You try to create the appearance of a perfect Blondie, but you were always so soft at heart. What a laugh! The great Blondie of Tanagura unable to get rid of a few lowlifes."

Raoul felt his hand clench into fist, his nails digging into his flesh.

"Don't push it, Shisei, I can still do it."

But Kano wasn't scared one bit. "On no, you won't. Since you didn't do it already, you won't do it now."

Raoul desperately searched his mind for some sharp reply to wipe this infuriating smile from the beautiful face before him. He found nothing. Instead there was one overwhelming, irresistible urge that tugged at his guts. And he indulged it. His fist sprang up and smacked into Kano's jaw, full force. The next moment the imperious aristocrat was sprawled on the ground, cupping his face and looking at the Blondie with indignation. In spite of the grave circumstances, a spiteful snicker rose in Raoul's throat. He stifled it there.

"We're going," he said to Riki and Katze. Before turning and stepping through the door, he caught sight of the redhead, pushing Lucius away from his grasp.

"Get your hands off me, dirty mongrel," the Sapphire hissed.

He walked quickly along the corridor, his rage surfacing in his angry, thumping gait. A few moments later the mongrels caught up with him, but kept a step behind. Katze activated his wrist comm.

"Guys, it's over. Get your butts out of there. We'll meet at the car."

With that he broke the connection. For a while there was only a sound of their steps in the corridor. Then:

"You did right," Riki said.

And just a moment later:

"You did right," Katze said.

Raoul closed his eyes and said nothing.

* * *

The van hovered along Orange Road, approaching the main gate of Tanagura. They'd dropped Han, Kyle and Suki in the center of Midas five minutes earlier. Since then no words had been spoken. The light inside the car was off, the heavy atmosphere overwhelming.

Riki watched the road before them, his elbows resting on either of the front seats. Occasionally he cast a furtive glance at Raoul. The biologist had pressed deep into the cushions of the passenger seat, wrapped his arms around himself and dropped his head. Looking at the miserable picture the Blondie presented, Riki felt almost like patting his shoulder.

A comm unit beeped suddenly, violating the silence. Raoul stirred. Katze wordlessly pressed the button. The screen emerged from the middle of the car's dashboard. Iason's face looked at them from the other side. For a moment the Blondie's eyes met Riki's, then slid over Raoul and stopped on Katze.

"I can see you are headed back. Is it over already?"

Riki swore silently. Fucking ring with its fucking tracker. Moments like this always reminded him of who he was. No matter how many nights he spent outside, running black market errands, his 'master' always had a lock on him.

"Yes," Katze answered laconically.

"How did it go?"

For a moment there was no reply. The redhead glanced at Raoul. The Blondie sighed.

"Bad," he said. "We lost, Iason. Because of me."

The slightest trace of alarm decorated the perfect face for just a blink, then disappeared. One platinum brow rose at the biologist.

"What do you mean?"

"They were there, waiting for us. It was a trap. But we managed to deal with them, so it wasn't a problem. The problem is that... I didn't destroy the experiment. The breed, Iason, these weren't embryos anymore. These were four year old kids. Kano used the Accelerator on them."

Iason's face froze in a frown. "I see."

Raoul shook his head fervently, allowing his misery to twist his features. "I'm sorry, Iason. I let him get away with it. I'm sorry for all the money it will cost us. I... was too weak. I just couldn't kill them."

For a while icy blue eyes studied the biologist, calm and unblinking. Finally Iason spoke.

"I understand. Try to calm down, Raoul. We'll talk tomorrow." And he disconnected before Raoul could say anything. The Blondie stared at the screen, as it disappeared back into the panel. He looked devastated.

"He understood," Riki murmured.

"Yeah, he did," Katze agreed.

But Raoul only shook his head. "No, he despises me."


	8. Chapter 8

(Language corrections by Shayne and Phaedra7veils.)

**Chapter 8**

The great hall was only dimly lit by the lamp standing next to the sofa. In the twilight it seemed much smaller and more cozy. Reo had been long asleep in his room. Without his silent presence, with only the two of them around, the parlor gained a strange air of intimacy.

Raoul sat on the sofa, continuing to look like a kicked puppy. Katze refused to take a rest. He kept pacing the room back and forth, avoiding looking at the Blondie. He didn't want to see him like that, this sorry demeanor simply didn't fit one of the most powerful men on Amoi.

"Is there really nothing you can do?" he asked more on principle than hoping for any positive answer. "If you sue him..."

"If I sue him, he'll drag out my black market affairs and you know it," Raoul interrupted impatiently. "Please, Katze, you know better than to ask stupid questions."

Right, Katze bridled. That's what you get for trying to be nice. But he knew the Blondie was right. The truth was he didn't see any good way out of it.

"And what about the experiment you started? You've got the breed in your own labs as well. What about them?"

"We'll settle it. Somehow. Probably." Raoul shrugged. "We'll make it official that I bought rights for one set of the breed. Something like that. Kano won't take them, they have my imprint. But we'll settle it. I hope."

"So you will have some money from it."

"Oh yes," the Blondie sneered. "A micron part of what I could have. Maybe enough to compensate the infuriated sponsors." He paused for a long moment, swallowed, shook his head. "But it isn't about money. It's about me. It's about that I failed. I failed Iason and all those people involved. I failed myself. I screwed up, for Jupiter's sake!"

Katze stopped in mid-step. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"You did what you thought was right."

But Raoul didn't seem to hear him. "Just look at it. We conducted the investigation. No, _you_ conducted it, because I wasn't able to help you. You figured out which data had been stolen, you found the net café, then Viper, and finally Kano. All we achieved in this case was thanks to you. There was only one thing that was up to me. And I screwed up. I screwed up completely."

Katze couldn't take it any longer. Damn, the Blondie was wallowing in self-pity. Before he could to stop himself, he turned to Raoul and closed the distance between them in two long strides. He leaned over the biologist and grabbed him by his arms.

"Stop talking bullshit, Blondie," he shook the broad shoulders before him. "In the situation we had there, there were only two ways out. Neither of them good. But you chose the better one. Got it? You might have failed Iason, although I don't think so. You might have failed, well, whoever else. But you didn't fail _me_. Do you understand?"

Raoul looked at him, perplexed. On impulse, Katze sank down on the couch beside him, pulling one knee onto the cushions. He wrapped his arms around the Blondie strongly and rested his chin on Raoul's shoulder. A faint thought crossed his mind that he'd just hugged his tormentor, the man who'd practically raped him a few days ago. To hug him was, by all means, inappropriate. But at the moment he didn't care. At the moment he just felt like doing this. To hell with all the resentments.

They stayed like that for long minutes, in complete silence, unmoving. It was good, Katze thought. It was good to sit like that and hold the Blondie. To feel him in his arms, for once not dominant, not imperious. It felt... peaceful. He closed his eyes and almost fell asleep. It was only Raoul's voice that brought him back to reality.

"Katze." The voice was calm and even. And strained to the limit. "I think I need to take it out somehow. Right now I feel like crushing something. If I don't let off stream, I'll go insane. I want to use you tonight. I don't think one time will be enough."

Katze's arms tensed on the Blondie for an instant and a barely audible gasp escaped him. But then he brought his lips to Raoul's temple, and the Blondie felt – not a kiss – but a brush of hot air of the dealer's breath.

"Alright."

He was still for yet another moment. Then he pulled back slowly, releasing the Blondie from his grasp and waiting. Raoul rose and looked down at him.

"Let's go," he said quietly.

Katze got up and followed him into the bedroom.

* * *

"What's gonna happen now?"

Iason turned his head to look at Riki. The mongrel sat on the end of the sofa, back against the armrest, arms wrapped around his bent knees.

"What do you mean, what's going to happen?"

"You know. With Raoul. You told me that if you don't solve this problem, he might lose his position. Well, you... _we_ didn't solve it."

Iason shifted his gaze to the table and studied its plain surface, pondering.

"We won't allow this matter to become public," he said. "We'll keep it within the closed circle of people who already know about it. We'll pay them for their silence if necessary. This way we'll cut our losses as much as possible. Raoul's position will suffer, that's inevitable. But I don't think it's something that can't be rebuilt. If he takes care of matters properly, he will regain it in a while."

"So you think he'll recover?"

"Sooner or later – yes. I am positive."

"Don't you think they'll eat him alive? All those partners and sponsors."

The Blondie smirked. "If they even think about it, they will have me to deal with. No, Riki, I won't let him fall. But I believe he will get by without my help. He is a strong man and a good leader."

For a long moment there was silence. Riki watched Iason curiously. "You really don't mind him for his decision, do you?"

A small smile rose on Iason's beautiful lips. "Riki," the Blondie said firmly, "this man has been giving me so-called shit about you since the moment I took you from Ceres. I was really beginning to think that he is one of those mindless snobs who can't see the value past the envelope. I'm glad it turned out otherwise. As for the money..." he shrugged, "don't we both have enough of it?"

Riki felt his own lips stretch into a smile as well. "I'm glad you say that."

He really was. He hadn't expected that Iason showing his human side would make him so glad. And he was grateful. Grateful for this conversation, for being spoken to like a human and partner, answered and not dismissed. For once Riki didn't feel looked down on. For once he felt... safe with Iason.

Giving in to some strange impulse, he stretched his leg and reached out to the Blondie. His bare foot touched the other man's thigh, the toes pressed lightly.

"Ya know, make sure you tell him that. 'Cause at the moment the guy thinks you hate him."

Iason looked down at Riki's foot. Then up at Riki again. Their gazes met, and stayed locked.

"Let's go to bed, Riki," he said simply.

"Yeah, let's go to bed," the mongrel agreed.

Iason blinked, surprised at not having heard any complaints from his pet. But then he accepted it as his due. He rose and took Riki's hand. He led them to the bedroom, and the youth followed him without a word of protest.

They made love for hours. Riki never asked him to stop. He eagerly plastered his tanned body to Iason and bent into the caress. The Blondie shivered, feeling his mongrel's lips kiss his throat and jaw, hands stroke his backside... Riki was always very responsive, but never like that, never returning his caresses, never so active and inviting... They both climaxed, repeatedly and hard. Finally, too tired to continue, they just lay curled together in silence.

* * *

Raoul used Katze many times that night, riding him repeatedly and ruthlessly to vent his own anger and frustration. He must have lost himself in that, because when at some point an especially agonizing hiss brought him back to his senses, he realized that he'd been hearing those noises for quite a while already. He stopped and looked down at the pale face. He saw it twisted into a painful frown, the lower lip caught between teeth. Suddenly he became aware that down there, under the quilt, there was much more sticky dampness than usual. The leftovers of his adrenaline-fueled arousal vanished without a trace in one instant. He swore inwardly. But then wasn't able to care anymore. He just slumped down on the thin body beneath, panting hard.

He was surprised that Katze didn't try to push him away and get free as usual. Instead the dealer's arms stayed around him and he heard a quiet whisper in his ear:

"Next time you need to let off stream, or prove to yourself that you're a tough guy, go to the gym and try some normal exercises."

"I'm sorry." That was all Raoul was able to say.

"And about the breed, Raoul," the whispering voice firmed. "You did right."

Raoul moaned as he felt that something inside him broke.

* * *

The day was slowly breaking over Eos, witnessed by two couples still awake after an extremely restless night. They were very strange couples. Similar, and yet different. Their very existence was scandalous as in each of them a Blondie was involved. But even more outrageous was the fact that in both cases the other half of the couple was a mongrel.

One couple had an over four-year history and an overwhelming, dark, morbid fascination hidden behind their bond. That fascination had lasted unchanged for all this time and made their lovemaking such an intense and electrifying experience that neither of them could resist. Everything divided them. They were two opposites, separated by an impassable social gap, intellectual level, beliefs and outlook, but wedged together by mutual attraction – powerful, but dangerous and destructive. Even when they lay entwined, welcoming the new day in silence, they looked like each other's antithesis – one small, dark, short-haired; the other tall and fair, with wonderful long locks. They made the most beautiful composition, but based on contrasts.

The other couple lacked history. Nor was the passion between them that strong. One might doubt that – at least from the mongrel's side – any passion existed at all. The sex they shared was neither intense nor electrifying, it was actually a poor travesty of sex. But the differences between them weren't that strong either. Closer in age, social status, maybe even matching each other in mental abilities. They could work together, talk together, they even understood each other quite well. They lay face to face, exchanging short, quietly spoken words every now and then. Both fair-skinned, comparable in size and beauty. There was harmony in the picture they presented. If nothing else, they were a good match.

* * *

Kyaru welcomed Katze when the elevator doors swooshed open and led him to the parlor.

"Master Iason, sir Katze has arrived," the furniture announced and let him through, withdrawing into the hall at once.

The Blondie sat on the sofa by the window in his usual self-confident pose – cross-legged, straight, with a wine glass in his hand. Magnificent. Katze swallowed hard at the sight. Damn, he'd almost forgotten how it felt to be around Iason. He slowly moved in his former master's direction.

A slender bottle and another glass sat on the table before the Blondie. Iason nodded a short greeting and gestured for Katze to sit down.

"Wine, Katze? The last shipment from Quebecca," he said, pointing his chin at the bottle. "I strongly recommend it."

Katze wasn't a drinker. Whenever offered a stimulant, he chose his smokes. But this time somehow the alcohol seemed a good idea.

"Yes, please."

Iason filled the remaining glass and reached over the table to hand it to him.

"So," he spoke. "You're probably wondering why I asked you to come."

Katze did wonder. It was the middle of the day, and here they were, in Iason's condo. The Blondie had taken the day off to see him. That in itself was strange – they could just as easily meet at the Syndicate headquarters or in the evening. And the fact that Iason didn't want to tell him anything through the comm was even more surprising. The matter didn't appear to concern work. And if not work, then what? The distant idea that rolled through Katze's head made him feel uneasy.

Iason smiled, looking at him and apparently guessing his thoughts.

"I wanted to discuss the question of your... affiliation with you," he said.

Katze moaned inwardly. Yes, exactly the issue he feared.

"As you probably know," the Blondie continued in his even voice, "the trial period is coming to an end. There are less than two weeks left. So I am naturally curious as to how things stand between you and Raoul. After all, it's the matter of your future. I need to know whether you are prepared to stay with him."

"I..." Katze started and swallowed, "I thought it wasn't up to me. I thought that would be up to Raoul to decide. Whether he gets bored, whether I... come up to his expectations."

"Yes. That was a part of the deal," Iason admitted calmly. "But another part was your work. As you know, Raoul promised not to interfere with what you do for me. What we didn't tell you – for a natural reason – was my condition. I agreed to give you to him only when those two months proved that your—mutual relations wouldn't affect your black market performance."

Katze stared at him for a long moment. His mind was blank, except for the big 'oh' forming in it.

"They didn't affect it," he observed somewhat dumbly.

"No."

"So I still don't see why you're asking me."

The beautiful lips curved minimally. "Yes, indeed." The Blondie raised his glass to his mouth and took a long sip. Then, instead of answering, he said. "We've known each other for quite some time now, have we not, Katze? Eleven years makes a whole lot of history. People become attached."

Iason's strange behavior was making Katze more and more surprised. He frowned, unable to tear his eyes away from the Blondie.

"What are you saying?"

"Just that... I might not want to give you away. Just that I realized lately that I might not want to see you with Raoul. That somewhere during that time I formed a bond I don't want to break."

Katze's heart pounded abruptly at those words. He gazed at Iason, wide-eyed, while the Blondie continued.

"But I don't have to give you away. I'm sure that if I tell Raoul that I changed my mind, he will bend to my will. In any case, we might use a little deception. Now that you know about my condition, you can simulate some black market crash. A few days are enough to do it. So you see, the cards are entirely in your hands now. The decision is yours, not his. Make one move, and you'll be back with me."

Katze was still unable to utter a sound. Iason's next words literally knocked him back in his seat.

"I also know he is taking you." This sounded like a challenge. The Blondie's eyes were boring right through him. "And I know he didn't ask your opinion when he dragged you to his bed. I am guessing you are not exactly happy about it." The word 'happy' had a significant inflection, suggesting that whatever Katze felt, it was very far from happiness.

The stem of the half-emptied glass clicked against the table top as Katze put it down abruptly. He leaned forward and buried his head in his hands, his fingers combing through his hair.

"Hell, Iason, you sure know how to floor a man. What am I supposed to tell you?" He was glad his face was hidden, otherwise the Blondie would see the opulent flush that flooded his cheeks. "Yes, he is taking me. And no, I'm not exactly happy about it. But what do you care? You allowed it."

"Like I said, I only recently realized that I am quite attached to your person," came the flat answer. "I did allow it then, but people change their minds." There were a few moments of suspenseful silence. "He doesn't care for your needs when he does this to you, right?" And after another pause. "I could show you much more."

Slowly, Katze raised his head and looked at Iason through his fingers. The Blondie was studying him thoughtfully over the glass.

"What did you say?" the dealer asked incredulously.

"Exactly what you heard. I could show you more. Even a castrate can feel a strong pleasure if taken care of properly. If touched in right places. That's an offer, Katze. If you come back to me, you'll have a place in my bed."

The world is falling apart, Katze thought, peering at the Blondie in disbelief. The world is falling apart and reality is going crazy. He blinked, half expecting that Iason would disappear from sight. But the Blondie was still there. Very real, very Iason-like.

"What about Riki?" he asked, his voice faint, almost faltering.

"Riki comes first for me. Always will. I have no intention of putting him aside if that is your question. But you may be my second. Just after him."

He closed his eyes, because he suddenly felt dizzy. Damn, he was dreaming. He was fuckin' dreaming! He ran his hand over his face to calm his raging emotions.

"Did you at least ask his opinion on the matter?" he breathed.

"I don't need to ask his opinion."

Right. In spite of the hard shock gripping his guts, Katze felt bitter laughter rising in his throat.

"You don't, do you?" he sneered. "And you don't care that you might hurt him that way. Or me. Do you realize that you've just treated me like a cheap whore? You're such a... Blondie, Iason."

He knew what was coming and didn't try to evade it. Iason was above him in a blink. An iron hand grabbed him by his jacket and dragged him up like a rag doll. A moment later a wall smacked hard against his back.

Again.

What was it with these Blondies? – a distant thought crossed Katze's mind.

He expected a blow, but it didn't come. Instead Iason held him pinned to the wall with one hand while the other was suddenly on Katze, moving down his side to his stomach in a way that sent shivers through his whole body.

"Like you said, Katze," Iason hissed. "I don't need to excuse my actions to anyone. Because, yes, I am a Blondie. Riki will get used to it. He'll have to. And as for you, you should be flattered."

He leaned even closer, bringing his lips to the dealer's ear.

"I could show you so much more," he whispered fervently. "I could give you far more pleasure than he gives you. Because I want to. Because I know how to do it. And because I know you want it too."

The lips caught Katze's earlobe and bit lightly, making him gasp. Hot breath traced along his jaw. The hand moved from his stomach to his crotch and cupped it skillfully. Katze whimpered, his fingers digging helplessly into the Blondie's arms.

"You might lack part of your anatomy down there, but what is left can definitely get hard," Iason purred, kissing his jaw.

Poor remains of Katze's genitals were indeed at full attention. He didn't even know he was capable of such a strong response. Even being regularly fucked by Raoul never made him feel that way. If he reacted, the reaction was so much weaker. And Iason was only touching him... He panted when the hand on his groin pressed harder and started rubbing him through his pants. The Blondie's lips reached his chin and moved up. Before Katze could think, they were on his own lips and he was opening his mouth in submission.

Iason chuckled through the kiss.

"You're responsive. Good. I like that."

The lips were fierce and demanding, exploring Katze's mouth ruthlessly, making him short of breath. The world danced around them. The dealer shut his eyes, unable to resist the bliss, returning the kiss just as eagerly. It was more than a few seconds before he regained some shred of control. He braced himself and turned his head away, breaking the contact.

"Stop it!" he breathed. "Stop it, Iason, please!"

Iason pulled back a little to look at him. And then was kissing his jaw again, sending another wave of heat down Katze's spine.

"Stop!" the dealer pushed his hands against the other man, but the Blondie was like a rock. The lips moved down to his neck, delivering the most incredible sensation. Katze moaned, throwing his head back, bumping it against the wall. "Stop," he forced the voice through his throat. "You can't... do this. I... ah!... I belong to Raoul now."

Iason did stop. He blinked at Katze. And Katze blinked at him, unable to believe the words that had just left his mouth.

"What did you say?"

The dealer swallowed. Gods, what was he doing? His almost eleven-year dream was just coming true, it was probably his only chance. Here he was, kissing Iason for the first time. And it surpassed every sexual experience of his entire life. He wished, craved for more.

But one nagging thought didn't let him give in to his craving. What about Raoul?

"I said..." he exhaled, regaining his breath, "that I belonged to Raoul now."

A frown appeared on the beautiful face. "Is that your decision?"

Katze's hand clenched into fist on Iason's shoulder, crumpling the Blondie's cloak. He looked into those light blue eyes that for once were so close.

"Yes."

A moment passed in silence.

"I admit that's not what I expected."

"But that's what it is," his lips kept moving with surprising firmness. "You have given me the choice, so respect it now. I choose to stay with Raoul. I won't simulate any crash. And you, please, don't try to take me away from him. Be fair with him, Iason. He is your friend."

The hand on the crotch pulled back abruptly. Iason looked at him incredulously.

"Do you love him?"

"No!" Katze exclaimed. The idea was so ridiculous that he couldn't help a smirk.

"And me?"

His jaw contracted. His throat moved nervously when he swallowed.

"I know you do," Iason pressed.

Katze kept silent, staring at the Blondie. He didn't want to admit it. But lacked strength to deny it. And he knew his silence was enough of an answer. Iason eyed him for yet another moment.

"Then why?"

* * *

When Riki entered the great hall, a strange sight met his eyes. Iason and Katze stood at the far end of the room, facing each other. One of the Blondie's hands held the dealer's shoulder, pinning it to the wall. The other disappeared somewhere between them and, judging by its position, Riki could guess where exactly... and couldn't believe it.

They talked in low voices, but both seemed agitated. Riki leaned against the wall, just beside the door, poked his hands into the pockets and watched. Only after a long moment did Katze spot him, meeting his gaze over Iason's shoulder... and froze. Probably noticing the redhead's expression, after yet another moment Iason turned his head as well and, seeing Riki, took one step away from his former furniture.

Katze mumbled something to the Blondie and practically shot from his place, almost jostling Iason's shoulder on his way. He strode swiftly to the door, slowing his pace only when he reached Riki.

"I'm sorry, kid," he muttered and passed him without saying anything more.

The mongrel's eyes searched for Iason. His master stood, still half turned away from him, looking at him over his shoulder.

"Did that bother you?" the elite asked.

Riki smirked. "I guess you shouldn't ask me that."

"No."

"And I guess I should say I don't give a damn."

The Blondie closed his eyes. Riki pushed himself away from the wall and went for the balcony.

Listening to his pet's retreating steps, Iason stifled a sudden urge to slam his head against the wall. The whole thing with Katze... damn, he'd been an idiot.

* * *

He joined Riki on the balcony a few minutes later. The mongrel didn't turn to look at him when he came to a stop behind him.

"I didn't expect you," Iason offered.

Riki gave a slight shrug to his shoulders. "You mentioned yesterday that you were taking a day off so I just—"

"Decided to come to me? Riki..."

"I was bored. The good bars don't open 'til after 19:00 and I got no assignments for today. What?" he jeered. "Did I interrupt your little tête-à-tête here? What the hell was that about, Iason?"

"It seems I..." for a moment Iason looked for a good way to put it, "yielded to a temporary fascination with Katze lately. But it's gone already."

"Gone already?" Riki gave a short, dry laugh. "Iason, you were groping the man's balls five minutes ago. You expect me to believe it?"

"Yes. I was... touching him, but he told me to stop. He said 'no' to me, Riki," there was a little broken note in Iason's voice. "He chose to stay with Raoul. And he told me to respect his decision. I think he was right." He heaved a short breath. "I never, ever intended to put you aside, Riki. Even if it worked with Katze, which I doubt now, I would never put him above you. Do you understand that?"

"So," the youth's tone was noncommittal. "You wanted to try a threesome. A Blondie and his two pets, huh?"

"For a moment – yes," Iason admitted with a slight smile. "But it was a mistake. I was—" a quiet, bitter chuckle escaped his throat, "I guess I was selfish. I'm sorry, Riki."

The mongrel turned around slowly and looked at Iason, surprised. If it were Guy saying this after having groped, say, Sid, it would be hardly enough. Riki would give him hell for the next week at least. But no, it was Iason... The great boss of Tanagura said something like this, called himself selfish, apologized to him – a mongrel, his pet. It was—extraordinary. Or maybe it was just that Riki couldn't find the willpower to fight the Blondie...

"You are the first for me, Riki," Iason said, looking deep into his eyes. "It won't ever change. And I'm trying really hard to make it more bearable for both of us."

Riki breathed. He tossed his cigarette over the ledge and straightened to face the Blondie.

"Yeah, I know," he sighed, resigned. He wasn't even angry anymore.

Iason smiled. "Come here, pet."

"At least don't call me pet."

"All right. Come here, Riki."

The mongrel hesitated for a short while, but then took a step towards his master, closing the space between them. Iason wrapped his arms around him and Riki allowed him to press their bodies together. After a moment his arms slowly, not quite on his command, came around the Blondie.

Iason could feel the slight pull of his pet's tightening embrace. One part of him, turned on by this gesture, wanted to grab the mongrel and drag him to the bedroom at once. But another voice told him that staying here and just hugging like this had its own magic. And that voice was stronger.

"Hey, Iason," Riki's words were muffled by Iason's clothes. "What I told you some time ago – that you never talk to me – I didn't mean it. You do talk. Well," the mongrel added with a little sneer, "at least you try."

Iason chuckled. His hand caressed his pet's back as he pondered over Riki's change of attitude lately. First – the amazing sex they had last night, now this... Maybe, just maybe, the moment he'd been waiting for so long was finally approaching. Maybe, some day soon, Riki would really be his...

* * *

When Raoul came home, Katze was sitting in the great hall, sunk deep in an armchair. The Blondie was surprised seeing him here. Usually the redhead would be in his room, in front of the computer, working.

Katze was smoking, his gaze unmoving, fixed on some distant point before him. He seemed to be in a kind of trance, he completely ignored Raoul's arrival. Didn't say 'hi', didn't give him even a fleeting glance.

The Blondie walked over to him and studied his face.

"Something wrong?"

"Nah..." the answer was flat, inexpressive. And a moment later, "I told Iason to go to hell."

Raoul blinked. "You did what?"

Only now did Katze look at him. He smirked.

"Well, I didn't actually say that to him. I just... He offered me to take me away from you. I think he got kinda jealous. Can you imagine that? Iason jealous of you. Over me."

Raoul frowned and sat down on the glass table before Katze. He looked at the mongrel curiously. Body slumped loosely seemed almost limp, legs slightly apart, hands on the armrests. Katze looked like a very tired person.

"What exactly did he say?" he asked.

The dealer took the cigarette out of his mouth and blew the smoke to the side.

"He invited me to his place today. He wanted to talk to me – about this deal you two made over me. He asked me questions. Wanted to know how things were between you and me. And then he gave me a choice. He told me that if I came back to him, everything would be different. That I would become his second, just after Riki." Katze's eyes fixed on Raoul's intensely. "He offered me a place in his bed, Raoul."

Raoul watched the redhead seriously. Iason offered you a place in his bed and you told him to go to hell? On reflex, he bent forward and stroked Katze's scarred cheek. The dealer didn't move back, although Raoul knew how much he hated being touched there.

"Katze..."

"I told him what you once told me. That if I only came second for him, I'd rather stay with you."

Katze smiled bitterly. He didn't try to make his words pleasant for the Blondie, but Raoul didn't seem to take offence. On the contrary, the hand stroking his cheek didn't leave.

"You want to stay with me?" the biologist echoed.

"And what good could I possibly get putting myself into that sort of situation with Iason? I don't believe in his sudden feelings for me. He would use me – a few times – then he'd get bored. And even if he didn't... He has Riki, he loves him. And you... or me... whom do we have?"

"What if there was no Riki?"

Katze frowned. "But that's not how it is. There _is_ Riki. No point in deliberating what would have been if there wasn't."

"But what if?" Raoul repeated.

Katze shook his head. "No. I don't want to think about it. They are good together. That's how it should be."

He fell silent, taken aback by his own words. Who would have thought? No more than two months ago he'd been torturing himself with that fantasy almost every day. What if there was no Riki? What if Iason suddenly lost interest in the brat? He'd been so sure that it would have been better for everyone. And now...

"Yeah," Raoul smiled, his voice light, slightly surprised as well. "They are good together, aren't they? And we aren't that bad together either."

For a long moment Katze stared at him silently. Finally he spoke feebly. "I guess we aren't."

Raoul traced his thumb along the rough texture of the scar. The redhead sat motionless, giving in to the caress.

"I'm not giving you much, am I?" the Blondie murmured. "You don't get much pleasure in bed with me, you think I don't know it? But I don't think I can suddenly change and become more than I am for you now. I won't stop taking you. Maybe... if you're given a chance to leave, you should use it."

Katze half closed his eyes, his expression slightly exasperated. "You've lost enough lately, Raoul, you won't lose me."

"You pity me?"

"I appreciate what you did. And... you're giving me enough. I don't need more."

Strangely taken by those words, Raoul leaned even closer. So close that their faces were just inches apart. He took a long look into those amber eyes, burying his fingers in the red hair.

"Thank you," he whispered and only by the force of his will managed not to pull Katze into close embrace. It wouldn't be good, to get sentimental like that. "Thank you," he whispered again and pulled back quickly. Suddenly a thought flashed in his mind. He smiled, breaking the grave atmosphere of the moment. "So. How about a little celebration? Vultain's this evening?"

But Katze shook his head. "I don't think I'm in good enough shape to go out in public tonight." There was a little, sad smirk in his voice. "Give me a break Raoul, you'll have me for... well, as long as you wish. You'll have time to celebrate."

Raoul wasn't very disappointed. After all – yes, as long as he wished.

"Very well," he nodded. "It's your evening then. Use it as you wish, I won't bother you."

"Thanks," the dealer smiled. Then he pointed his finger at Raoul and added more briskly. "Hey, and you don't touch me tonight. I'm one big wound down there."

The Blondie winced. "Don't worry, I didn't mean to. It would be unhygienic. Besides, I don't want my sheets stained again."

Katze almost rolled his eyes. "Right."

* * *

It was a few minutes past 21:00 when the door to Katze's room opened. Raoul stood on the threshold, dressed in informal house clothes, with a book in his hand.

"May I?" He looked almost embarrassed. "I know I gave you the evening off, but I thought that my reading a book in here wouldn't disturb you."

Katze sent him a small smile. "Of course it wouldn't. Come in."

So the Blondie did.

"You are working?"

"Yup." The dealer turned to the monitor.

Raoul gave a little huff of amusement as he sank down on the bed.

"Just look at you. You were given a free evening and what you do? Work."

Katze shot him a slightly irritated glance. "Hey, that's how my evenings went before... you. I was given the evening off so I use it the way I always did."

"Remind me not to ever give you evenings off anymore," Raoul murmured teasingly, stretching out on the mattress. "In the long term they won't do you any good."

Katze tightened his lips as a snort threatened to escape them and decided that further discussion would be pointless. He turned to the computer again. On the bed, Raoul supported his head with his hand and opened the book. That's how they stayed for the next few hours, only the rustle of turning pages and Katze's barely audible murmur broke the silence now and then.

A few minutes past two in the morning the dealer decided that he had enough. Damn, going to bed at midnight – excluding those few minutes of sex – had changed his daily habits. He was feeling sleepy already.

Raoul had been dozing on the bed for at least an hour already. Katze looked at the lovely picture the biologist presented. Head thrown slightly back, golden hair scattered around it, revealing the perfect face, a little smile on the lips. And what was he going to do with a Blondie in his bed?

He got up and shook the Blondie's shoulder.

"Raoul, wake up."

He received only an inarticulate, blissful purr in response.

"Raoul, it's two in the morning, time to go to bed."

"Mmmph... in bed... ...ready."

A Blondie. Just look at him. This time Raoul did lack his dignity.

Katze shook him again. "Please."

But Raoul ignored him completely. He just turned more to his side and buried his face in the bolster. Great. Katze sighed and went to the bathroom to wash up.

He was back a few minutes later, dressed in his pajamas. He hovered over the sleeping man, staring down at him. It didn't look like there was any chance of detaching Raoul from his nest any time soon. So?

He looked around, thinking. He could go to Raoul's bedroom and take his bed. Yes, he could, but it somehow seemed ridiculous – sleeping in the Blondie's bed even when the Blondie wasn't there. No.

He could spend the night on the couch in the great hall, but dragging himself there with a blanket seemed silly as well. Reo would definitely go bug-eyed in the morning on seeing him. In his own room he could only use the floor. Or...

He sat on the bed. There was no point in evading it. After all, he'd picked this fate for himself. He hated the thought of himself actually choosing to _sleep_ with the Blondie, but who was he trying to fool? He'd known that by making this decision he would land in Raoul's bed for good.

Slowly, he lay down on his side.

"Hey, move over, Blondie, you're taking the whole bed."

To his surprise, Raoul did exactly as he was told. Katze reached for the blanket folded at their feet and spread it over both of them. Using a remote control on the nightstand, he switched off the light.

He put his head on the bolster. For a few moments he lay like that, eyes open, staring into the darkness. Then a hand slumped heavily over him and the Blondie pulled him closer, giving another low murmur. The pleasant warmth of another body seeped into Katze's back.

"Mine," there was triumph in this barely intelligible word.

Katze's gaze fell on the tag he wore on his wrist. Yes, Raoul, apparently yours. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

**Epilogue**

The first thing that struck Raoul when he entered Iason's office was the expression on his friend's face. The Syndicate boss sat – his chair half turned away from the desk, staring into space, unblinking. On his way here Raoul had heard that Iason had been called for a private audience in Jupiter Tower earlier that day. And now, looking at him, he knew that something was very wrong.

"Has there been any trouble?" he asked, coming up to the desk.

"No, not really," came the calm reply.

"It's very seldom that you've got such a concerned look on your face."

This time he got no answer. Iason didn't even look at him.

"You were called out by Jupiter," he tried again.

Iason only frowned.

Raoul sat on the edge of the desk and stared at the other Blondie.

He'd come here because they needed to talk. The remains of Kano's case still weighed over them and had to be worked out quickly. And then there was Katze and a little fact that by making his offer to the redhead, Iason had actually broken their deal. Well, Raoul didn't find himself very angry about it. Katze's decision had washed away most of his would-be anger before it could even appear. But he was still determined to demand some explanation.

However, Iason didn't seem in a condition for any talk at all.

Raoul studied the beautiful face that at the moment seemed so distant. As if Iason wasn't here at all. What is it Iason? What is wrong? Is it something about Riki? He couldn't imagine any other thing that could shake his friend so much as to evoke such a reaction.

But he didn't ask. He knew that if Iason wanted to tell him, he would have been doing so already. Still, he needed to say _something_.

"It's between us so I'll come right out and say it," he started. He hoped that his words would at least distantly hit the point. "Rule breaking, in its own way, should have its tacit rules. Unless you start facing facts, you'll get everyone's back up. No one's going to trust you anymore."

"You mean keeping Riki in Apatia?" Iason asked flatly.

"When a Syndicate boss looses charisma, that's the end. A scandal with a pet, a mongrel pet, is the lowest of the low."

How about a scandal with a furniture? – he mentally sneered at himself. He half expected that very comment from Iason. Instead he heard:

"He said that too. That the name, Iason Mink, would be blemished."

Raoul sighed. So he was right. Iason was too far gone to even think about salvation.

What can I do for you, Iason? How can I help?

"Iason. Don't forget this," he heard himself saying. "I flatly refuse to be the one to tamper with your mind."

Surprise filled him even before those words had time to die out. Would he indeed? Would he dare to oppose Jupiter in the face of a direct order? After all he'd been through lately... Katze, his own sins and failures... would he? Hell, yes.

After all, we are partners in crime now, Iason.

Iason closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He said nothing but seemed to relax. Raoul stayed still, leaning against the desk, eyes turned away from the other Blondie. They sat like that for a long time, comfortable with their silence.

The End – to be continued in Delivery


End file.
